Protests outside abortion clinics should be banned by setting up "buffer zones", an MP has urged.

Labour's Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) said police attended an incident outside a clinic in her north London constituency at the weekend.

She told MPs: "We know that local authorities are hamstrung because the only available legal tool at the moment is the public space protection order which not really appropriate for this sort of issue.

"And we know that it's quite a high threshold to meet a buffer zone under that particular legal tool."

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) last year called on the Government to review an earlier decision when it was decided buffer zones "would not be a proportionate response".

Although the review received evidence of harassment and damaging behaviour, such as the handing out of model foetuses, displaying graphic images and blocking patients' paths, the reviewers said this was not "the norm".