A High Court challenge is being filed against the order banning anti-abortion protesters from demonstrating outside Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing .

The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which came into effect on Monday (April 23), has created a 100-metre "safe zone" preventing protests taking place outside the Mattock Lane clinic.

Aiming to prevent women accessing abortion services from being "harassed and intimidated", Ealing Council voted unanimously in favour of the buffer zone on April 10.

Now the PSPO has come into effect following a cooling-off period, a woman has come forward to say she is filing a high court challenge against what she calls " a censorship zone".

Alina Dulgheriu, a mother who was supported by a pro-life vigil, suggests prayer and support have been "criminalised" as a result of the UK's first abortion clinic safe zone .

She said: “My little girl is here today because of the real practical and emotional support that I was given by a group outside a Marie Stopes clinic.

"I am launching my legal challenge at the High Court to ensure that all women at Ealing and across the country do not have a vital support option removed.

"In doing this I represent the thousands of women who have been helped by these vigils. What sort of a society criminalises charity that is wanted and welcomed by many?

"Britain has a reputation for being a liberal, caring society, but what is liberal or caring about censoring free speech, banning charity and ignoring women who need help?”

Alina Dulgheriu is filing a high court challenge against the Marie Stopes safe zone

Be Here For Me, a pro-life campaign group contesting the PSPO suggests it "violates the human rights of residents" and prevents the "free assembly of citizens, freedom of speech, prayer and reception of information".

A spokesman for Be Here For Me said Ealing Council "has a duty to respect such rights" when imposing an order on the grounds of it being proportionate and reasonable, which councillors agreed it was.

Jacelyn, another woman who was supported outside the abortion centre, said she is “100% behind Alina’s legal challenge", which will be filed this week.

She said: "My daughter means the world to me. It is really upsetting that Ealing Council will today actively ban the offering of support like I received outside the abortion clinic.

"If censorship zones are brought in, many women who are in similar situations to me will be forced into going ahead with abortions they don’t want. ”

Pro-life demonstrators outside the Marie Stopes clinic on Mattock Lane

Speaking after the meeting on April 10, Ealing Council leader Julian Bell said he felt the cabinet had done "absolutely" the right thing by enforcing a PSPO.

He said: "I believe that this is something that's long been needed, so it feels good that we are actually breaking the ground with this and leading the way.

"So I'm proud that we are doing it."

"I'm, personally, a practising Christian myself and so I think it's important to recognise that this is about protecting women from harassment and intimidation.

"We've always been clear that that's what this was about. It wasn't a debate for or against abortion."