Girls in municipal care had a caesarean section “against their will”.

Judge Poole dealt with the girl’s case at a summary hearing before the Supreme Court’s Family Division earlier this week and was told she was 35 weeks pregnant.

A lawyer involved in the case told the PA news agency that the girl gave birth after a Caesarean section and that mother and child are doing well.

Lawyers representing the doctors who treated the teen told the judge she had a “needle phobia.”

However, they said specialists had concerns about the baby’s health and believed the “only way to ensure a safe delivery” was by caesarean.

Mr Judge Poole said the girl could not be identified in media reports of the case.

He also said the council responsible for the girl’s care could not be named if the information revealed any clues as to her identity.

Supervisors at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, based in Darlington, are responsible for her medical treatment and had asked the judge to decide what steps would be in her best interests.

Attorney Vikram Sachdeva KC, who led the trust’s legal team, told the judge that the girl had a “significant psychiatric history” and had “a history of sexual exploitation.”

Judge Poole concluded that a cesarean was in the girl’s best interests.