A WOMEN'S charity has opted out of a scheme supplying condoms to under-age girls over fears that they are falling prey to older men.

Wearside Women in Need (WWIN), based in Sunderland, has decided against giving condoms to under-16s, after its research showed that most were not having sex with their peers, but were involved with men in their early twenties.

Clare Phillipson, charity director, said: "We are concerned that, across Wearside, there is a culture of acceptance that under 16-year-old girls have sex with 21 to 22 year-old men.

"Older men who have sex with under-16s are paedophiles. Why would a 21-year-old man want to have a relationship, if you could call it that, with a 14-year-old child?"

Sexual Health Outreach With Teenagers (Showt), run by Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust scheme, provides condoms for under-16s through Sure Start and certain youth clubs and organisations.

Since October, the controversial morning-after pill has been available to city girls aged 14 and over from pharmacies.

But WWIN will no longer be offering contraceptives to under-age girls.

Ms Phillipson said: "What we are seeing across Wearside is an increasing number of older men who are targeting young women.

"We have decided not to give out condoms to under-16s and the reason is firstly, sex under 16 is illegal, secondly, we have a responsibility to parents and thirdly, young women who we come across who are having under-age sex are not having it with their peers, but with older men.

"We don't want to send out the message that we think it is all right for children to be having sex, because we don't, and we certainly don't want to be helping abusive men cover their tracks."