Pro-abortion campaigners were appalled to learn yesterday that the Catholic church in Scotland has paid a pregnant 12-year-old girl to keep her baby.

The girl is probably the youngest ever to take part in the scheme, set up by Cardinal Winning, leader of the church in Scotland, to offer pregnant women financial support as an alternative to abortion. She is reported to be keen to keep her baby, but campaigners claim she has been bribed.

Her father, who lives in England, had contacted the organisers, as both he and his wife are unemployed and did not know how else to deal with the situation.

But Jane Roe, campaign manager of the Abortion Law Reform Association, said she was appalled to learn what the Catholic church was doing. "Cardinal Winning has allowed his religious principles to totally override his common sense," she said.

"He is encouraging a 12-year-old to consider that it is alright to have a child, that it is emotionally the best thing for her. That lacks all consideration for the poor girl.

"At 12 she may be able to get pregnant, but it doesn't mean she is mature enough to understand what it means. I think it is appalling to allow her to go through with it."

Sarah Colborne, of the National Abortion Campaign, described the decision to offer money to a child to keep her baby as bribery which removed choice.

"If Cardinal Winning was really concerned about women in poverty then he would be campaigning for more resources for them rather than doling out used prams and a few hundred pounds here and there."

Liz Armstrong, of the Scottish Abortion Campaign, said: "Young people in this situation have to have more information about what it means to bring up a child.

"What we don't want the church to do is tell this young woman that her only option is to have the baby. It would be helpful if the Catholic church had a more progressive view on contraception."

Church spokesman Monsignor Tom Connelly said: "It is sad that kids of that age are having babies, but there you are. The major concern is that the girl is not suffering in any way. The church offers real choice."

Monsignor Connelly said he did not know if the girl was the youngest to be part of the programme. He said she would be offered help and advice as well as money.

The programme has helped the mothers of about 200 babies since it was set up two years ago.

Roseann Reddy, its coordinator, said the girl's father had said she would be devastated if she had to get rid of the baby. "She was under a lot of pressure but was adamant. The parents wanted to support the girl but could not afford the baby clothes, and that is where we step in. A pregnancy can mean getting into debt for the cost of a cot and a pram."