Docile by Design?

Moves to clone and genetically modify farm livestock have opened the door to the creation of "Farmyard Freaks", experts have warned.

News that the daughter of a US clone cow has been born on a British farm has moved the issue from science fiction to consumer reality.

A former government adviser has painted a nightmarish picture of "zombie" and fast-growing supersize animals.

Professor Ben Mepham, of Nottingham University, said the impact of bio-engineering, creating GM and cloned animals, is huge.

Factory farming techniques, most commonly used with pigs and chicken, often involve keeping animals confined in cramped conditions.

For pigs, who are highly intelligent, these conditions can lead to stress and aggression.

However, GM scientists are actively investigating ways to remove the stress and aggression gene from animals, effectively turning them into complacent zombies.

The professor said it might become technically possible to produce "animal vegetables" - beasts which are "highly prolific and oblivious to their physical and mental status".