Researchers studying the sexual habits of teenagers have found that girls are more likely to ignore condoms than boys.

The study also revealed that black boys were more likely to suffer from sexual health problems than their Asian or white classmates because they lose their virginity at an earlier age.

Staff at Coventry University's Health Services Research Centre interviewed more than 3,300 pupils aged between 12 and 17 in the Midlands and the north-east England. One in four was said to be sexually active with half the active girls having sex without condoms, compared with 42% of the boys.