Kim Cotton gave birth to a baby girl earlier today but was forced to leave her in the care of Victoria Maternity Hospital after the London borough of Barnet imposed a court order.

The baby, who is still unnamed, will remain at the hospital until at least next Friday, when a juvenile court will decide her future.

Hospital Administrator David Davies said: "Until we hear to the contrary the baby must remain here in a place of safety."

Paying money for surrogacy is currently permitted by law, but Health Minister Kenneth Clarke has revealed that Parliament will move to ban it after MPs came under pressure to take urgent action.

The organisation responsible for arranging the surrogacy is an off-shoot of an American agency, based in Surrey.

Run by former health visitor Barbara Manning, it is expected to make thousands of pounds from the Cotton surrogacy.

Last year's Warnock Committee, which investigated human fertility, recommended that such agencies should be made illegal.

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