Aussie travellers 'populate UK for cash'

Aussie backpackers are populating the UK by stealth, donating sperm to earn money to fund their travels.

Fertility clinics in London say that up to a third of donors are now people from overseas, many of them Australian travellers seeking cash, News Limited reports.

A spokesman for one of London's largest clinics, the Bridge Centre, said Aussie backpackers were very enterprising in looking at ways to earn extra money while travelling.

And he said clinics needed more men to donate, with a new report showing donor numbers were critically low in the UK.

"We need them, we need that winning spirit and we need some more left-handed batsmen so we're hoping that's in the gene set," spokesman Tim Mott said.

"If you're on the grand tour and you're spending 12 months in the UK, here's something you can do to make a bit of extra money.

"They should have it on the same `to do list' as going to the rugby at Twickenham.

"It's a good cause and if we get enough Australian donors you could end up colonising the UK instead of the other way round."

- AAP