The research from the Oxford team indicate that 1,500 girls have gone "missing" from the birth statistics in England and Wales since 1990.

Dr Sylvie Dubuc, a specialist on human geography and population at Oxford University, studied birth rates of different ethnic groups in England and Wales, and was surprised by what she found, stating according to her calculation around 1,500 girls are missing... it's significant compared to the total number of births.

Dr Dubuc found that the proportion of boys over girls has increased over time abnormally, giving the most probable explanation, she says, seems to be sex selective abortion by a minority of mothers born in India.

The view has also been further backed up by independent research carried out by the BBC which concluded that it is not just women born in India who are prepared to go to extremes to ensure they have a male heir. The organisation quoted an anonymous "British woman who spoke to the BBC who, already had three daughters. When she became pregnant again last year she was desperate to know the sex of the child. Many health authorities in the UK refuse to tell couples the sex of an unborn, so Meena and her husband travelled to India to find out.

She told the BBC: "Unfortunately it was another girl. My husband and I thought the burden would probably be too much and the pressure when I got back home. So we decided to terminate".

With its largely unregulated medical profession, and a culture that is well known for its preference for boys over girls, India was an easy option, the couple simply looked on the internet to identify a doctor to approach - and found one who was willing to perform the scan and abortion.

Getting rid of baby girls is a practice that is so widespread in some parts of India that it has skewed the ratio of males to females dramatically.

Female foeticide, as it is known, has been illegal in India since the early 1980s.

It is also illegal to offer scans to find out the sex of a baby - but the law is regularly flouted,

The BBC contacted one doctor that specialises in IVF treatment and has practised in some of Delhi's top hospitals, and has actually campaigned against female foeticide, calling it an "evil" crime. During investigations the BBC had heard that her clinic would offer ultrasound scans to determine the sex of a baby - even though a sign in the waiting room clearly said it was illegal. Secret filming shows that within minutes the very same doctor agreed to perform the scan. She warned the couple not to tell anyone about what they were doing as it was illegal.

The couple also ask whether, if the unborn child is a girl and they decide to abort the baby, she could recommend someone to carry out a termination.The doctor apparently said "Yes I can recommend someone."

In the ultrasound room, another doctor tells the couple the "good" news - "It's a boy". Both doctors had broken several laws, when the BBC confronted the doctors about the evidence, they denied doing anything wrong.

It is estimated seven million girls have gone missing from India's population over the last 25 years, with figures provided by UNICEF showing 80% of Indian states practicing infanticide, with the wealthiest areas being the worst effected..

Selective abortion is happening all over India as ultrasound machines - which carry out the scan - have become cheaper, but it has always been worst in Punjab and Gujarat.

It is impossible to say how many British women are travelling to India for terminations.

The UK has a substantial community though with strong links and often the same pressures as families in India.

The story of the Indian community's missing girls is only starting to emerge, but the preference for sons and the lengths people will go to have them can no longer be kept a secret.