According to the government, illegal abortions carried out by doctors could make them get imprisoned as there have been cases in which doctors were faking consent forms.

A health watchdog investigated some clinics and it was seen that one out five clinics was not following legal guidelines following which the warning was issued.

The Abortion Act was breached by many doctors as there were cases in which some doctors were seen signing consent forms that allowed a woman to get an abortion done and that too without being aware of the reason why these women wanted abortions.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said, "If there is evidence of an offence we will give it directly to the police."

Spot checking have been carried out over the last two weeks by the Care Quality Commission and about 250 abortion clinics in England have been checked.

Official guidelines have not been followed by about 50 clinics, the watchdog found. In some clinics they found that doctors had signed piles of consent forms without knowing anything of the circumstances of the women involved.

Abortion can be carried out after two doctors sign a form that states mental and physical risk to a woman's health if abortion is not conducted, as per the law.