MPS have demanded better sex education lessons in schools after serious weaknesses were exposed by teenage mums from Swin-don.

A report by the House of Commons Commons Health Select Committee urged the Government to make 'electronic babies' realistic dolls available to pupils to show the realities of motherhood.

And it called on ministers to investigate setting up a text-messaging advice service to alert young people to the dangers of unsafe sex.

The recommendations follow evidence given by two young mums from Swindon, who were members of the groundbreaking Young Mums-To-Be project.

Natalie Stuart, aged 18, and Anna Eagle, 17, told the committee how better sex education would have stopped them becoming pregnant at such a young age.

Gail McKay, who directed a young mums-to-be course in Swindon and is a sexual health officer for the Council, accompanied the two on their visit in January.

She said: "I'm really pleased that Natalie and Anna's visit has not fallen on deaf ears.

"They both did really well when they spoke to the MPs and put their point across. It's obviously been taken into consideration."

Heather Siebenaller is the Personal Social Health Education and Citizenship team leader at the Ridgeway School in Wroughton.

She said: "We already run a sex and relationship education course, which I think is very good. We use a variety of methods to give advice to the students, including drama workshops, videos and discussions.

"We also invite parents in to discuss how they may be able to raise issues at home with their sons and daughters.

"A lot of the time, teenage mums are truants and so they might miss the courses available in schools. There is always room for improvement but I'm very pleased with what we already do."

Now the committee's report, which will be studied by the Government, has called for the dolls to be available in schools, along with the text-messaging of advice.

Julia Drown, Labour MP for South Swindon, who sits on the committee, said: "I'm delighted that the evidence we heard from Swindon has been taken up in the recommendations.

"What came across very strongly was how relationships and sex education was not being taught as well as it should be in many schools.

"Young people would delay starting a family with better advice. That's crucially important, because the prospects for very young mums and their children are not as good as for women in their 20s and 30s."