Woman denies abortion clinic 'buffer zone' offence

A woman has pleaded not guilty to a public order offence after being accused of silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, 48, from Malvern in Worcestershire, is the first person in England and Wales to be charged under new "buffer zone" legislation which came into force in October 2024 and restricts some activities near abortion facilities.

She appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday to hear a charge relating to a zone around a clinic in the Kings Norton area of the city.

Having denied a breach of the Public Order Act, Vaughan-Spruce is set to face trial in October.

The alleged offending is said to have happened between June and November last year.

The new law was created with the aim of preventing anyone having an influence on a person's decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services, and also prevents anyone from causing distress or alarm within 150m (492ft) of abortion facilities.

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