A Christian charity opposed to giving adoption rights to homosexual couples, has produced a card for parents who object to their children being looked after by a gay couple.

The card, which reads "In the event of my death I do not want my children to be adopted by homosexuals" has been produced by the Newcastle-based Christian Institute.

The card has been dismissed by a gay rights campaign group who called it "laughable" and accused the Christian Institute of misleading the public.

The move comes as the House of Lords votes on Wednesday on whether to allow unmarried heterosexual and gay couples to adopt children.

When I first heard about it I thought it was a joke, but it is obviously just a publicity stunt

Brett Lock, Outrage

Under current law, only married couples and single people, including gay people, are allowed to adopt and MPs voted earlier this year to scrap the ban.

The Lords will vote on Wednesday whether to allow the government's proposals, which would make it illegal for adoption agencies to give any preference to married couples.

A poll commissioned by the Christian Institute found 65% of parents in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency would make a legal declaration to stop their children being adopted by two gay men.

Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said the cards would give parents the opportunity to make their wishes known.

He said: "We hope that the House of Lords votes against plans to allow gay adoption.

"However, if gay adoption gets the go-ahead, parents will have to make their wishes clear.

"All the research shows that gay adoption would be harmful to children. It is wrong to deliberately deprive an adopted child of a mother and a father."

Misleading message

Brett Lock, of gay rights group Outrage, said every parent had the right to make their wishes clear, but that a card was not the way to do it.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: "When I first heard about it I thought it was a joke, but it is obviously just a publicity stunt.

"The fate of your children is not decided at the scene of an accident.

"It is not necessary to carry a card as you would a donor card... your last Will and Testament has always sufficed to make your wishes clear and I'm sure it will continue to do so.

"What concerns us is, either through ignorance or malice, the Christian Institute is misleading the public.

"They say that the issue is one of homosexual adoption, but gay people can adopt and have been able to for many years.

"The issue they have is with unmarried people adopting, whether heterosexual or homosexual."