TEEN MUMS.. A TALE OF OUR TIMES

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, May 9, 2004 | by LUCY LAWRENCE

THE TEENAGE sisters who five years ago shocked the nation when they became two of Britain's youngest mums seem to have learned nothing from the experience.

Charlene and Miranda Tucker are both living on benefits. They have both had a second child... and neither has the same father as the first.

Britain has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Europe and the Government has spent pounds 63million on tackling the problem - but has failed to stop the rise.

Charlene was 16 and Miranda just 14 when they both discovered they were pregnant in 1998. They gave birth just 10 days apart.

Today both are older... but perhaps not much wiser.

Charlene, now 22, lives in the family home in Poole, Dorset, with Bethany, five, and new baby Crystal 15 months.

Younger sister Miranda, who doesn't know for sure who daughter Lakisha's father is, lives in a council flat with new baby Josh, 10 months.

When they first got pregnant, both girls had attended sex education lessons at school and were on the Pill with their mother Tammy's blessing. But both admit they took it "irregularly". Charlene says: "Finding out we were pregnant the first time was terrible.

"Neither of us knew the other was going for a test until we bumped into each other at the clinic.

"Mum was shocked, but she knew what we were going through - she had an abortion herself at 14.

"It was a shock for everybody really. I had no idea Miranda might be pregnant. I didn't even know she was having sex.

"But both of us knew we wanted to keep the babies. We don't believe in abortion unless you're raped or there is something terrible wrong with the baby.

"Mum supported us throughout which was great, especially when Beth's father, Jason left me when I was still pregnant.

"He never really sees Beth now. He did a few times after she was born but then lost interest. He's never given any money for her.

"She saw him in the street a month ago and rushed up to him saying 'Daddy, Daddy'. He spoke to her but never gave her a proper cuddle or anything."

Miranda, now 20 - who named Lakisha after a guest on the Jerry Springer show - may never be sure who the father is as, despite then being only 14, she had unprotected sex with two 18-year-olds.

The man she believes is the father - who now has two other children by different women - is refusing to take a DNA test.

Both sisters first looked after their babies at home with mum Tammy, brother Shane, 16, and younger sister Tarina, 12.

Miranda says: "Both were brilliant babies, they ate and slept and were easy to look after. It wasn't so hard for us to adjust our lives and we had each other to learn from. There's only one moment I remember when I'd had enough.

"Lakisha just would not stop crying so I locked myself in the bathroom to calm down while mum looked after her.

"But at the end of the day you just have to get on with it. I met my new partner when Lakisha was nine months. He was 16 and I thought he was gorgeous. We moved into a bed and breakfast together - but with the three of us in one room and no money it was too much.

"I came home again to mum and managed to get a council flat.

"We tried living together again, but it just didn't work. It's a case of 'can't live with you and can't live without you'." Despite her stormy relationship with her new partner Miranda was delighted when she fell pregnant again at 18.

Her son Josh was born 10 months ago. Miranda now lives with her two children in a two-bedroom council flat while her partner, 21, lives at home with his mother. Charlene says she was also delighted to be pregnant again."I met her dad, Mike, when I worked in a chip shop.

"He used to come in every day and flirt with me. He was from Birmingham but was down here doing construction work.

"I finally agreed to go out with him even though I knew he had another baby girl down here by another woman. I was pregnant within three months. We had been using condoms but one night we didn't. He wanted me to get rid of the baby, but I didn't, I was looking forward to having another baby even though I knew it would be hard.

"I moved up to Birmingham with him and Beth, who was three, when I was six months pregnant and for eight weeks we slept on his mother's dining room floor. Eventually we got a council flat, but the walls were bare plaster and the floors just boards. I spent some of my maternity money on a carpet for the living room and we managed to get a mattress and hire a sofa."

Charlene was rushed into hospital for an emergency caesarean two weeks early and when she came out a week after Crystal's birth she was devastated to find Mike had moved in with another woman. After two weeks she moved back to Poole.

She says: "He doesn't see Crystal or Beth now, nor his other daughter in Poole.

"The woman he moved in with in Birmingham had a son from a previous relationship who has now been taken into care.

"Social Services won't tell us what happened - so until he leaves her he won't get to see his other kids."

Charlene and Miranda live on pounds 122 a week Income Support and pounds 27.05 Child Benefit None of the fathers pays Child Support.