British women can now select a sperm donor to father their child by using a mobile phone app, believed to be the first service of its kind in the world.

Dubbed the “order a daddy” app, it allows women to browse for potential fathers by choosing a donor with desired physical characteristics such as hair and eye colour or height. They can also filter applicants by educational level and occupation and read a description of their personality.

A payment of £950, made via the app, is required for a donor’s sperm sample, which is then delivered to the fertility clinic where the woman is being treated.

About half of Britain’s IVF clinics, including private and NHS institutions, are understood to have registered to use the