An army veteran prosecuted after he prayed silently outside an abortion clinic is to appeal against his conviction.

Adam Smith-Connor was last month found guilty by magistrates in Bournemouth of violating prohibitions on behaviour with a 150-metre buffer zone around an abortion clinic in the town. He was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £9,000 but has announced that he will take his case to the Court of Appeal.

His decision comes as the government regulations enforce buffer zones around every abortion clinic in England and Wales and as Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unveiled guidance clarifying that silent prayer is “not necessarily” a crime in any abortion buffer zone.