THE drive to improve Blackpool's major problem with teenage pregnancy was launched this week.

A new Teenage Pregnancy Campaign kicked off at Bloomfield Road where youngsters from St Mary's RC High School performed their own play and agencies involved in the campaign mounted displays.

Blackpool has the highest teenage pregnancy rate outside London but the goal is to reduce under-18 pregnancies by 55 per cent by 2010.

"We give young people information, knowledge and advice to empower them to make positive choices about their sexual health," said teenage pregnancy co-ordinator Eileen Houghton.

The campaign would go out into schools and would involve teenagers who had been pregnant talking to other youngsters about their problems.

She added: "Research has been commissioned to look at the more complex issues that are facing Blackpool in terms of teenage pregnancy. When we know the results we will be able to direct resources."

She said there was a lack of knowledge among young people who also did not know where to get advice. "Blackpool has a lot of work to do but we are beginning to make progress and we have a lot of work to do to get teenage pregnancy rates down."