Spunking his money away

Fireman who donated sperm to lesbian couple fights demand for child maintenance

A London man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple is being made to pay child support, it was revealed today. Andy Bathie, 37, a firefighter from Enfield, agreed to help Sharon and Terri Arnold after they assured him he would have no involvement in the children's upbringing and no financial commitment. But he is now having his pay docked to pay thousands of pounds in child maintenance even though he has no legal rights over the boy and girl the couple had. He says the payments mean he and his wife cannot afford to have children of their own. Mr Bathie, from Enfield, said: “These women wanted to be parents and take on all the responsibilities that brings. I would never have agreed to this unless they had been living as a committed family. And now I can't afford to have children with my own wife — it's crippling me financially.”