A quarter of women trying for a baby have used a fertility spell and 15 per cent thought it worked, according to a Netmums survey. The survey of 2,000 women, exclusively reported in The Sun, also revealed that 51 per cent of women had obeyed old wives' tales like rubbing a pregnant woman's belly or planting rosemary bushes. 29 per cent of women had visited a clairvoyant and at least one woman had reportedly made love on Cerne Abbas Giant.

An incredible 35 per cent of the women surveyed had spent more than £500 on alternative treatments, which also included acupuncture, Chinese medicine, aromatherapy and vitamin supplements. A fertility spell costs £7, according to Netmums, and boasts a 'money-back guarantee'. Around eight per cent of the women who tried the spells felt 'taken advantage of at a vulnerable time'.

More than half the women surveyed had taken more than six months to conceive, with around a quarter taking more than two years. Siobhan Freegard of Netmums told The Sun: 'Our team was shocked by how many women are using spells and statues'. She continued: 'Women must be wary not to be ripped off'.

BioNews obtained the survey results from Netmums.