Father of triplets defends use of surrogacy

A single man has caused the latest surrogacy controversy by using an American surrogate to carry children for him. Donor eggs were fertilised with 54-year old Ian Mucklejohn's sperm and implanted into the woman, who gave birth to triplets earlier this year. Mr Mucklejohn brought the baby boys to the UK in March. He intends to raise them on his own, with the help of a nanny.

The children, who are American citizens, have been granted temporary leave to remain in the country while their case is considered by the Home Office, the same procedure as happened to the surrogate-born children of two gay men last year. David Blunkett will speak to the surrogate before he decides what will happen.

Mr Mucklejohn is the director of a language school and cares for his father who was seriously injured in an accident, one reason he states for never having married. He did not apply for adoption because he wanted his own children, and he plans to tell them exactly how they came into the world when they are older. He says of the criticism that has come about his case 'if I was a woman no-one would be interested... if I was, I could come into the country with my babies and they would be British, but because I'm a man the law doesn't allow this'.