Anti-abortion group protest at Stormont

Anti-abortion campaigners gathered at Stormont today to warn the Government against introducing abortion on demand in the North.

The pro-life pressure group Precious Life was protesting at Parliament Buildings against guidelines issued by the Department of Health in January which detail the circumstances in which pregnancies can be terminated in the province.

Unlike England, Scotland and Wales, the North is not covered by the terms of the 1967 Abortion Act.

Abortion is only allowed in more restricted circumstances where the mother's life is in danger or there is a threat to her physical or mental health.

The January guidelines were released after the Family Planning Association won a court battle in 2004 to force the Department to make it clear to the public the rules governing terminations in the North.

Precious Life director Bernie Smyth, however, warned that they were being used as a vehicle to introduce abortion on demand.

"Since the Department of Health issued their abortion guidelines, Precious Life volunteers have been working day and night on the Not In My Name campaign - distributing leaflets warning of the dangers in the guidelines and collecting signatures for our submission," she said.

"We've had a tremendous response from the people of Northern Ireland who have given a resounding 'no' to the killing of unborn babies.

"We are presenting tens of thousands of submissions signed by the public asking the Department of Health to amend their guidelines and give protection to our unborn children and their mothers.

"This campaign has sent out the clear message to the Department that if they attempt to introduce abortion here, the people of Northern Ireland will say 'not in my name'."