Praying near abortion facilities could be made a criminal offence in the UK, Supreme Court judges have ruled.

The country’s highest court decided that abortion clinic “buffer” zones are compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights provisions on freedom of speech and expression.

The ruling means that wherever such zones are introduced it will be a criminal offence to pray, even silently, or to attempt to give advice to women visiting clinics. 

Pro-life groups say it spells the introduction of the UK’s first “thought crime” and say they now fear that campaigning pro-abortion MPs will press for national legislation to impose exclusion zones around all abortion facilities.