Father cannot meet daughter until she is three

A man who has been identified as the legal father of his ex-partner's daughter - even though he is not her biological father - has lost his appeal to meet the child. The court of appeal upheld a ruling made in the high court last autumn that although he is the legal father of the girl and can send her gifts and cards, he cannot actually meet her until she is at least three years old.

The man and woman, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons, went together for IVF treatment with donated sperm in 1996. But the couple separated after the first unsuccessful attempt at treatment, although the women failed to inform the clinic of this development. Although the woman was single when her second attempt succeeded, her ex-partner was found to be the legal father in the high court because their original consent to treatment together was still valid. However, Judge Mark Hedley also ruled that the man's application for parental responsibility, which would include visitation rights, should be postponed at least until the child reached her third birthday.

Following the high court ruling, the man took his case to the court of appeal. But last week he was refused and the original decision at the high court upheld.