A British scientist will be able to genetically modify human embryos after being given the go ahead from an ethics committee.

Dr Kathy Niakan, of the Francis Crick Institute, will begin preparatory work on the programme following the decision by the Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee.

The committee gave the green light to the scheme after it was approved by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), earlier this year.

Dr Niakan will now be allowed to use a gene editing technique on surplus embryos that have been donated by consenting patients undergoing fertility treatment.