A hospital is encouraging young men to 'change lives' and donate sperm - and could sell it on for 80 times the amount paid to the donor.

Whittington Hospital in Highgate, north London, is calling on 'altruistic men' aged between 18 and 45 to give samples in London's first 'not for profit' sperm bank.

Staff, who will sell the sperm to infertile couples, insisted it was time to shake off the notion that sperm donation is 'kind of weird and seedy'.

Bosses reckon they can get 'three vials' from 'one sperm donation' - and could sell each vial for £900.

Whittington Hospital in Highgate, north London, is encouraging young men to 'change lives' and donate sperm - and could sell it on for 80 times the amount paid to the donor

That means a single sperm donation, for which the donor is paid up to £35 in 'expenses', can be sold in three vials for a staggering £2,700.

In percentage terms, that's a huge 7,614 per cent increase for Whittington, which has a budget deficit of millions of pounds.

All money raised would go straight into the coffers of the hospital, which is planning on selling sperm to infertile couples.

Hospitals are not allowed to provide sperm free on the NHS, meaning many infertile couples have to resort to buying sperm from private clinics or online - but bosses at the hospital said they could offer sperm for sale to 'cut out the middle man'.

Erica Foster, an embryologist at the Whittington Hospital, said this week: 'This could make serious money for the hospital.

'You can sell donor sperm for around £900 a vial. I can get three vials from one ejaculate (although) of course, we'll do it for a bit less, as it is a NHS hospital.'

'Sperm donation is the most magical thing, the most selfless act that transforms lives,' She told the Camden New Journal.

Staff, who will sell the sperm to infertile couples, insisted it was time to shake off the notion that sperm donation is 'kind of weird and seedy'

'It's a special type of person who's going to do this. You can change people's lives for relatively little effort.

'But in this country so few people do it. In this country it's seen as a kind of weird and seedy thing to do.'

Consultant gynaecologist Gidon Liebermann, who is also heading up the sperm bank, said: 'We wanted to take out the whole profiteering element of selling sperm.

'I'm not a hard left-winger who is anti-private practice. I do private work myself, but I think people should have a choice to stay within the NHS framework.'

Local resident Graham Harrison, 34, said: 'I would be happy to donate some sperm, although I wouldn't mind a cut in the profits!

'Seriously though, it's crazy that men don't donate sperm - it's not exactly a difficult thing to do and could change a couple's lives - and make some money for a good hospital.'

The Whittington Hospital website states: 'For some people, the only way that they can start a family is through the use of donor sperm.

'We are always seeking to recruit altruistic men onto our donor sperm programme. If you meet the criteria below, and would be able to visit our centre once or twice per week for 6 to 12 weeks, then you may be eligible to donate.

'According to UK law, sperm donors must be aged between 18 and 45, be generally healthy and free from diseases which are known to be hereditary, understand that they cannot receive payment for sperm donation (although reimbursement for expenses of up to £35 per visit may be offered) and be willing for their identifying information to be disclosed to any biological children born as a result of their donation once that child reaches the age of 18 (a maximum of ten families can be helped by a single sperm donor).

Potential donors should contact donorbank.whittington@nhs.net