More Stevenage teenagers are getting pregnant than anyone else in the county, new figures have revealed.

There were 49 conceptions in the town in 2012 amongst those aged 15-17, according to the latest data released by the Office for National Statistics.

The conception rate works outs as 31 in every 1,000 girls in the age group, with Watford the second highest in Hertfordshire with a rate of 23.6.

The number of conceptions in Stevenage has fallen by 11 when compared to 2011, when the town again recorded the highest rate in the county.

Stevenage had the lowest rate of abortion across Hertfordshire, with 42.9% opting to terminate their pregnancy.

In North Hertfordshire there were 48 conceptions involving 15-17 year-old girls in 2012 – the same as the previous year.

A rate of 20.5 conceptions per 1,000 girls in 2012 was the fourth highest among the 10 districts in the county.

Abortion rates were the second lowest behind Stevenage, with 47.9% of girls opting for a termination. The highest was in East Hertfordshire – where 88.2% of girls had an abortion.

A total of 125 15-17 year olds got pregnant in Central Bedfordshire in 2012 – two less than in 2011 – with a conception rate of 26.7 per 1,000 girls in the age group. Just over half – 52% – had an abortion.

Across England and Wales the conception rate among those aged 15-17 was 27.9 conceptions per 1,000 women, a rate 10.5 higher than the Hertfordshire average.

The percentage of pregnant girls having abortions across England and Wales as a whole was 48.7%.