Top scientists warned today that banning hybrid embryos would set research back years and deny hope to thousands who suffer fromcrippling diseases.

On Monday MPs will debate a new law allowing experts to create embryos out of human cells and animal eggs. It is hoped this will lead to treatments for conditions such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

But there has been opposition from religious groups and pro-life campaigners who say the research is unethical and tampers with nature.

The Government has allowed a free vote on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Today scientists mounted a public relations offensive in favour of change. Dr Lyle Armstrong of Newcastle University said that if the Bill was rejected "this will put research back several years. We shouldn't want to restrict any research which will benefit human beings. This is not about wanting to create strange hybrids to walk our streets and terrorise people".

Hybrid embryos are created by transferring the nucleus of a human cell into an animal egg which has had its nucleus removed. The embryos would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal.

Under the Bill, they would have to be destroyed after 14 days and could not be implanted into animals or humans.

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