Scientists in Newcastle have been granted permission to clone human embryos for medical research.

The controversial move means researchers at the University of Newcastle will be the first in Britain to carry out therapeutic human cloning.

They plan to duplicate early-stage embryos and extract stem cells from them which can be used for radical new treatments.

The embryos are destroyed before they are 14-days old and never allowed to develop beyond a cluster of cells the size of a pinhead.

The green-light was given by the research licensing body the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority after weeks of discussion.

The decision puts the UK at the forefront of global research in this very promising area of medicine and confirms the North-East as one of the world's emerging centres for biomedical research.

The scientists hope their ground-breaking research will lead to the development of new treatments for a range of diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.

An appeal has been launched by the Newcastle Human Embryonic Stem Cell Group to speed up research.

The group, which is part of the Government-backed Life Knowledge Park, is seeking private sector partners to help the UK stay ahead of international competition.

Despite the approval by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's Research Committee, opponents of cloning human embryos say the process fails to respect the sanctity of human life.

The Pro-Life Alliance argue that scientists should be concentrating on using stem cells derived from adults rather than those derived from "spare" embryos produced during in-vitro fertilisation treatment.