Nearly one in five GPs throughout Britain believes abortions should not be legal and should be banned, a survey has revealed this week.

The poll by the doctors' newspaper Pulse, has also indicated that almost a quarter of Britain's GPs are refusing to sign abortion referral forms.

In addition, a massive 55 per cent of the 309 GPs surveyed said they wanted the current 24-week limit for abortions to be reduced immediately.

As the law currently stands in the UK, two doctors need to sign the application referring a patient for an abortion, as proof that the woman meets the legal requirements for an abortion.

However, 24 per cent of GPs said outright they would not sign abortion referral forms, and a substantial 19 per cent did not believe abortion should be legal at all.

A spokesman for the Department of Health has commented: "If GPs feel their beliefs might affect the treatment, this must be explained to the patient who should be told of their right to see another doctor."

Dr Rob Hardie left his Wiltshire practice in 2004 after refusing to sign the new GP contract, partly, he said, because of the guidelines on abortion, The Daily Telegraph reports.

He said: "With abortion, there's the ethical problem of destroying a life, and even if you have different beliefs, there's surely an ethical problem in doctors being forced to do something that they do not believe in. It's immoral and unjust.

"So it's fantastic to see young doctors making a stand against this - not just Catholics but other Christians and Muslims too."