Lesbians and gays 'share' test-tube baby

A lesbian couple and a male homosexual couple are raising a child conceived between them by artificial insemination, it was revealed last night.

As the Church of Scotland today publishes a report on childlessness which opposes artificial insemination for lesbians, it emerged that a toddler now aged two was conceived with sperm from one of the man used to fertilise an egg from one of the women.

The woman, a health worker, gave birth to a baby boy and the couples, who are understood to live near each other in Strathclyde, have shared his upbringing. They are thought to be trying for another baby.

Details of the arrangement came on the eve of the Kirk committee report into human fertilisation which opposes same-sex couples and single women being given any clinical help in conceiving a child.

The committee also condemns surrogacy as an "intrusion" into marriages, although it accepts that infertility treatment might be acceptable for some married couples and also where people are in "faithful, stable, lasting relationships".

However, the child's mother is quoted as saying: "Our son is quite happy and very articulate.

"He finds it quite good to play us all off against one another and he is certainly very well-adjusted. He just sees us all as equals. There is no difference for him at this time."

Last week a Scottish court refused a gay couple permission to adopt a disabled boy they had been looking after.