NICOLA Sturgeon has been challenged to deliver on a pledge to offer free abortions in Scotland's NHS to women from Northern Ireland.

Clare Bailey, who is behind the campaign to legalise abortion in Northern Ireland, issued the stark warning.

She said new Holyrood powers over abortion law should be used to remove abortion from criminal law.

Bailey, a Green member of Northern Ireland's assembly, said it should be regulated as a healthcare issue.

She said Scotland was lagging behind England after a bid by Labour MP Stella Creasy to allow Northern Irish women access to NHS-funded abortions was passed by Westminster.

Bailey made the remarks ahead of a speech she delivered at the Scottish Greens conference in Edinburgh yesterday.

Bailey said Sturgeon should introduce immediate free access to abortions for women from Northern Ireland. She also claimed that termination access services were so poor in Scotland that many women were travelling to England.

She said: "You still have a lot of women from Scotland who have to travel to England to access abortion services and I think Scotland needs to sort that out first of all.

"But Nicola Sturgeon did say she would look into the potential of allowing free access for women from Northern Ireland in Scotland. But there's still been no movement on that."

She said: "Was it a soundbite or a promise because there are women suffering. Nicola Sturgeon should follow up on her commitments and do what's right for women."

Bailey added: "So I think there should be decriminalisation. I don't think it should be in the criminal justice system. I think it's a healthcare issue.

"So was it a soundbite or a promise because there are women suffering."

Bailey claimed a lack of abortion services was forcing women to get unsafe terminations.

She said: "If you don't allow women access to services what you are doing is forcing women to take more risky actions."

However, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said the First Minister's pledge to offer abortions to women from Northern Ireland would be taken forward.

“We are working to ensure women from Northern Ireland can receive abortion for free and on the same basis as women in Scotland, and we continue to work to improve abortion services for all women,” she said.