'Neighbours' attacked for teen pregnancy plot

Neighbours is the latest soap to come under fire from conservative family groups over its teen pregnancy storyline.

Critics of the controversial plot, that sees schoolgirl Bridget (Eloise Mignon) trying to deal with the reality that she's pregnant to her boyfriend Declan (James Sorensen), claim the storyline is inappropriate for a G-rated show and could lead to more promiscuity and teenage pregnancies.

"[Teenage pregnancy] is not something that should be considered the norm," said Pro-Family Perspectives director Angela Conway. "Programmes like Neighbours can make the behaviours that lead to teenage pregnancy seem normal and acceptable.

"A lot of kids just aren't ready to get their head around details of explicit sexuality."

Neighbours executive producer Susan Bower defended the storyline, saying: "I am quite sure a lot of people are not happy with this storyline.

"We decided we would show the ramifications on the teenagers' lives."

Mignon, 22, has also defended her character's pregnancy.

"I wanted to do this story if it did the emotional spectrum [of pregnancy] justice," she said. "It would be disappointing if it was to be done in a shallow, trite, vulgar or simplistic way - and it hasn't been."

Earlier this week, Home and Away was the target of attacks from conservative groups over a planned lesbian love affair.