THOUSANDS of embryos will be destroyed throughout Britain under fertility laws tomorrow despite emotional pleas from childless couples and the anger of donor parents and doctors.
The British Health Secretary, Mr Stephen Dorrell, admitted today that "no one is entirely comfortable with the destruction of embryos". But he believed that the five year deadline was introduced properly and had been extended.
However, anti abortion campaigners have condemned the deadline claiming that the 3,300 "orphaned" embryos to be destroyed should be used to create children for other childless couples.
Fertility experts also criticise the action, saying it makes a mockery of their work to create life and leaves some couples - where the sperm was given by an anonymous donor - with the prospect of losing the chance of a child.
The case of a woman from the West Midlands was highlighted today by Dr Peter Bromwich, clinical director at Midland Fertility Services in Walsall, West Midlands.
He explained that the woman, in her 20s, and her husband had adopted a child after an unsuccessful attempt at IVF treatment five years ago. The woman had left three frozen embryos at the clinic for future use, but because they were fertilised by an anonymous donor who could not be traced they would be destroyed tomorrow by law.
He said: "This woman was considering serving us with a High Court writ to prevent the action, but has decided that she does not want her private grief to become public property.
"She and her husband believe that the embryos are theirs and are nothing to do with the donor but the law says that he is the father and must give agreement to a time extension - how can we get that if we cannot trace him?"
The doctor said he knew of two other couples, in Cambridge and London, where a sperm donor could not be traced and the couples faced the destruction of the embryo against their will.
Dr Bromwich said that such cases had been raised to the fertility watchdog, the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, before they introduced the deadline in 1991, but no action had been taken.
Without the agreement of both parties involved in creating the embryo, an extension to a 10 year storage time limit cannot be granted.
The doctor, whose 29 staff treat about 700 new childless couples each year, said that tomorrow he will have to destroy 90 embryos or face a possible prison sentence. His clinic, and others around Britain will be forced by law to take the embryos out of cold storage and drop them into a solution of vinegar and alcohol before they are incinerated. The procedure will take minutes.