Sperm donor aged 72 to father own grandchild

The anonymous man has been given permission to donate his sperm to his daughter-in-law to allow her to become a mother.

The decision by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority means the baby born to the couple will be the grandfather's genetic child and its father's half-brother.

The case - believed to be the first of its kind in Britain - was sparked after the husband and wife's attempt for a child via IVF treatment failed because the man's sperm was not of high quality. The couple then turned to the husband's father in a bid to produce a child which is a close genetic match.

Sperm from the grandfather is being screened by the London Women's Clinic where the couple, who wish to remain anonymous and are in their thirties, are having treatment.

Dr Peter Bowen-Simkins, comedical director of the clinic, said the couple and the grandfather had undergone counselling to prepare them for producing a child in this unusual way.

Along with the HFEA approval, an independent ethics committee was brought in to review the case.

Dr Bowen-Simkins said: "I've certainly never come across a case like this before. But advancements in fertility treatment have overcome a lot of taboos in science which means that people are prepared to consider all sorts of options.

Obviously the wife's mother-in-law also had to be included in all the conversations but she has no objections. Society has also changed its perceptions of what is and is not acceptable. In this case keeping the genetic identity of the child similar to their own was a huge factor. The husband does not have a brother which is why he chose his own father to assist."

The child will be able to "track down" his genetic father if the parents do not reveal his identity.

Requests from couples to allow fathers to donate sperm are far less common than cases of donor " grandmothers" where mothers donate their eggs to their infertile daughters.