The decision to uphold a ban against peaceful protestors outside abortion clinics has been branded ‘shocking’ by the UK’s oldest pro-life group.

Antonia Tully, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, hit out following the High Court decision to back the buffer zone ban ordered by Ealing Council.

She was astonished that in his decision Mr Justice Turner found the ban interfered with activists' human rights, but the council was "entitled" to impose it.

Mrs Tully said: "What is most shocking is that the High Court is allowing a council to ban peaceful public acts of witness and freedom of expression and stop members of the public offering charitable help to pregnant women."

Mrs Tully said: "A mother who was herself given this help and has a beautiful six-year-old daughter as a result brought this challenge, and a judge has decided that no other mothers may be helped this way, and no-one else’s sons or daughters may be saved.

"Instead, they are to be left at the mercy of Marie Stopes. It’s the height of irony that it’s not the multi-million pound organisation that we know from CQC reports has injured women and put their health and safety at risk that is facing court action, but volunteers who give up their time to offer financial help and moral support to women who want to keep their babies. What kind of society treats its citizens in this way?

"Pro-lifers throughout Britain are staring down the barrel of a gun following the verdict on the Ealing  buffer zone," she continued. "Up and down the country, thousands of supporters and activists of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children are wondering "who's next?", as the frenzy to outlaw public acts of witness to defend unborn babies and their mothers gathers momentum."

Mrs Tully went on: "The Ealing verdict heralds the next phase to shut down the pro-life movement in this country.  SPUC, Britain's leading pro-life organisation, exists to speak out for the thousands of voiceless human beings who are killed by abortion each year.

"SPUC is a grassroots organisation whose members are active in towns and cities throughout the land - spreading the message that abortion kills babies and wounds mothers. SPUC supporters are out delivering leaflets door to door, taking part in acts of witness in public places and holding public meetings.  The Ealing verdict may be affecting only one small part of the country today. Tomorrow we could see this insidious opposition to the pro-life movement spreading throughout the land.

"Here at SPUC, we have seen this coming, which is why we launched a major national petition calling on the Home Secretary to oppose any moves to restrict peaceful pro-life citizen's freedom of expression.

"The Ealing verdict strikes at the heart of what is means to be able to speak out against injustice.  And there is no greater injustice than the daily death toll of unborn babies killed by abortion.

"Countless women bear the scars of abortion," Mrs Tully concluded. "Outlawing the freedom to speak out publicly against abortion, means that the damaging impact of abortion on women will be sidelined even further. Who will help women suffering after an abortion when caring pro-lifers are forbidden to reach out to them in the public square?"

Contact us

For more information, please contact Alithea Williams, SPUC Communications Officer, on:

• t: 020 7820 3121
• m: 07792372599
• e: alitheawilliams@spuc.org.uk