A British defence contractor, BAe Systems, has confirmed that it is funding research into a device which is said to modify the effects of gravity.

The concept was pioneered by a Russian physicist, Yevgeny Podkletnov, working in Finland, and employs electromagnets and a rotating disc.

Dr Podkletnov has said experiments showed that it eased gravitational force by two per cent or more, which could have a dramatic effect on means of travelling.

BAe Systems says it will call its anti-gravity research programme Project Greenglow.

However, the BBC Science Correspondent says the possibility that a basic law of physics can be altered has attracted ridicule from many scientists, who believe that the concept belongs in the realm of science fiction.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service