MEASURES to tackle teenage pregnancy in Poole could be reviewed following the shock news that two schoolchildren will become parents.

The 13-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl hit the headlines nationally over the weekend after the Daily Echo revealed that they were having a baby together.

In a bid to protect them the council has won a court order banning their names from being made public.

It is an unwelcome return of bad publicity for the town, echoing the national outcry in 1997 when one of the UK’s youngest mums, Jenny Teague, from Poole, gave birth at age 12.

The following year Canford Heath Sisters Charlene and Miranda Way, 16 and 15, made the national news after they gave birth within weeks of each other.

Gail Eaton, teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, Borough of Poole, said: “It is important to stress that such cases are rare. Overall, the number of teenage pregnancies in Poole remains relatively low when compared to other parts of the country.”

She said work to tackle the problem had led to a 17 per cent reduction in teenage pregnancies in Poole since 1998.

Borough of Poole cabinet member for children and young people Tony Woodcock said the latest case of headline-grabbing teen pregnancy would prompt a review of measures to combat the problem.

He said: “When things like this happen it focuses the attention. We need to look at it again and see if there is anything further we can do that we’re not already doing.”

Cllr Woodcock added: “Unfortunately it’s going up nationally – and its going up in Poole a bit as well – we want to bring that down and do something about it.”

He said the council was “constantly working on it.” Provisions already in place include Youth Advisory Clinics providing sexual health and contraceptive services, drop-in and advisory sessions, condom and emergency contraception schemes and health, sex and relationships education in schools.