Promiscuous teenagers in Clacton are to come under the spotlight.

The town has been chosen to be featured on a major TV show about sex education. The reason, say the producers, is its high teenage pregnancy rate.

They will also be visiting surrounding towns, including Frinton, Harwich and Colchester.

"Teenagers in some parts of Essex are among the most sexually active in Europe," said Channel 4, which wants to interview parents for the documentary series.

"In certain boroughs of the county, the rates of teenage pregnancy are some of the highest in the UK and the rates of sexually-transmitted diseases are rocketing."

The fact that parts of Clacton and Colchester have way above average teenage pregnancy figures is borne out by county and national statistics.

"We're focusing our efforts on this part of Essex as it has fairly high teenage pregnancy rates combined with friendly, out-going inhabitants who are perfect for TV," said Jack Bootle, the series' assistant producer.

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Published Monday, November 21, 2005

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