In the red: sperm bank turns away ‘foxy’ donors

REDHEADS are being turned away from the largest sperm bank in the world — because not enough people want children with red hair.

The director of Cryos International, Ole Schou, said there have been so many donations in the last few years that the facility can afford to be picky.

The Denmark-based sperm bank has been inundated with donations, but the demand for red-haired children is not soaring like the supply of sperm.

“There are too many redheads in relation to demand,” says Mr Schou.

“I do not think you chose a redhead, unless the partner — for example, the sterile male — has red hair, or because the lone woman has a preference for redheads. And that’s perhaps not so many, especially in the latter case.”

Mr Schou went on to say that the only real demand for redheaded semen comes from Ireland, where it sells “like hot cakes”.

Cryos has now reached its capacity of 70 litres of semen, approximately 14,000 donations, and has 600 donors on its waiting list.

Sperm from donors with brown hair and eyes is particularly in demand because Cryos has many customers in Mediterranean countries.

Historically, red hair was thought to be a mark of moral degeneration and sexual desire.

Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads — 13% of the population — with Ireland running its Celtic cousins close with 10% redheaded.