British stem cell scientists celebrated the end of a lengthy battle to create embryos which are part-human and part-animal yesterday after the research was approved by the government’s fertility watchdog.

The decision to allow “cytoplasmic hybrid” or cybrid embryos, by inserting human DNA into an empty animal egg, followed a three-month public consultation which found participants were broadly in favour of the research.

By using animal eggs, researchers will be able to press ahead with stem cell research without having to rely on scarce supplies of human eggs. Under existing law, the embryos cannot be implanted into a womb and must be destroyed after 14 days, when they are a ball of cells no bigger than a pinhead.

The research has been heavily opposed by anti-abortion and religious groups.

The leading pinheads should get the credit they deserve.