The British public is being asked for how they feel about the creation of IVF babies with three genetic parents.

What they say could pave the way to a landmark change in the law as early as next year that would affect future generations.

The controversy surrounds "uncharted territory" techniques aimed at preventing a special category of diseases caused by inherited genes.

They involve children being conceived with the help of a third genetic "parent": a woman whose donated egg provides a source of replacement healthy DNA.

A baby created this way would have a full compliment of nuclear DNA from its mother and father, plus a tiny amount of donated mitochondrial DNA.