SCHOOLGIRLS should be given lessons in chastity to cut the town's spiralling teenage pregnancy rates.

Eric Hester, former head of St Joseph's High School, Horwich, believes Bolton teenagers should be encouraged to wait until marriage before having sex.

And he has attacked Bolton's teenage pregnancy strategy which he fears encourages under age sex.

Mr Hester says the policies being considered will soon enable pupils to obtain the morning after pill from their school nurse -- without their parents knowing.

The 61-year-old said that the policies of Bolton's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy were "disastrous" and claims they are being introduced without public consultation.

He says the strategy drawn up by Bolton health chiefs -- without any representation from parents -- is undemocratic and he intends to take the issue House of Lords if necessary to stop their implementation. He also wants the strategy to include lessons in chastity.

Mr Hester, who was headteacher for 16 years, said the policies will create further rifts in family life by alienating mothers and daughters.

He said: "I will take this to the House of Lords. We are supposed to live in a democracy.

"I am not alone in this. There are many parents in Bolton who have not been consulted on this strategy which includes giving the morning after pill to young girls in schools without parental knowledge."

Bolton recently bucked national trends by reporting an increase in the abortion rate for schoolgirls under 16 from 4.8 per 1,000 to 5.2.

As reported in last month's Bolton Evening News, recent figures show that 272 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 became pregnant in Bolton last year compared to 249 in 1998.

But Dr Kevin Snee, Chief Executive of the Bolton Primary Care Trust, has defended the pregnancy strategy saying many people have been asked their views -- including parents.

Dr Snee said schools would only introduce the contraceptive scheme "following the broadest of consultations with parents and the wider school community".

He argued that the strategy is based on the most up-to-date national research and evidence which has revealed that school-based sex and relationship education can be "effective" when linked to access to contraceptive services.

Dr Snee said: "The vast majority of people do want to see better services, better education and a more open and honest attitude to sex and relationships."