Plans to create buffer zones around abortion clinics and hospitals have been backed by MPs - but West Dorset's Chris Loder voted against the plan.

The House of Commons voted 297 to 110, majority 187, in favour of an amendment to the Public Order Bill in a bid to offer greater protection to women.

The move, pushed by a cross-party group of MPs, would introduce buffer zones around abortion clinics and hospitals where it would be an offence to interfere, intimidate or harass women accessing or people providing abortion services.

Those convicted could face up to six months in jail for a first offence or two years for further offences.

A buffer zone would apply to an area which is within 150 metres from any part of an abortion clinic or access point to any building or site that contains an abortion clinic.

MPs were given a free vote on the matter - so, how did our MP vote?

Mr Loder voted against the amendment, arguing 'we live in a society of free speech.'

Mr Loder said: “The proposal that MPs voted on was to make a silent protest with a placard illegal. Regardless of anyone's opinion about this issue, we live in a society of free speech and this presented to me a thin end of a wedge against the interests of democratic freedoms we enjoy in the UK, including the freedom to protest peacefully, even silently and with out disruption to others.

"If anything should be banned, it is the Insulate Britain protests that block roads for hours on end, blocking ambulances from getting to hospitals, not silent protests sharing a difference of view.”

Speaking before Tuesday's vote, Clare Murphy, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), said in a statement: "Every year around 100,000 women are treated by a clinic or hospital for an abortion that is targeted by anti-abortion protests.

"These groups attempt to deter or prevent women from accessing abortion care by displaying graphic images of foetuses, calling women 'murderers', and hanging baby clothing around clinic entrances, causing women significant distress. Today's vote will bring an end to this activity."

Louise McCudden, MSI Reproductive Choices' UK advocacy and public affairs adviser, said: "Today's vote marks a huge victory for reproductive rights."

Labour MP Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), who moved the amendment, said the change would "not stop free speech on abortion".

She told the Commons: "It simply says that you shouldn't have a right to do that in the face of somebody - and very often these people are right up in front of people - at a point when they have made a decision."

Ms Creasy added that 50 clinics have been targeted by protesters but only five have managed to get public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), designed to prevent specified things being done in a restricted area.

Senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin backed the change as he said the Government's current policy meant 'women should be harassed outside abortion clinics before' a protection order can be implemented.

But fellow Conservative Fiona Bruce said the buffer zone proposal has 'grave implications, indeed threats, to freedom of thought, conscience, speech, belief and assembly'.

She said: "It has implications far more widely than on abortion alone. It potentially criminalises even those who simply peaceably stand near abortion clinics and who do so mainly on the basis of their faith-based beliefs."

Although she acknowledged harassment and intimidation around abortion clinics "has to be addressed", she said there are existing laws and "there have been relatively few if any reports of this".

The Bill as a whole attempts to crack down on disruptive protests.

It will undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords at a later date.