The country's first UK-owned and operated stem cell lab, in which umbilical cords are stored in case they can be used to treat future illnesses, has opened in Brighton.

The procedure has already become a multi-million dollar business in the USA by offering expectant parents a kind of insurance policy against illnesses including childhood leukaemia.

Now Dr Giles Davies and research scientist Dr Jeff Drew, from Brighton, are taking on the US giants with their own company Cells 4 Life, based at the Sussex Innovation Centre at the University of Sussex.

So far, the umbilical cords of 30 children are stored in the company's deep freeze, in the hope that if a child becomes ill later in life the cells can be used in transplants.

Another 130 expectant mothers have already registered an interest, including many due to give birth at the city's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

The company was set up five months ago when the doctors' wives were both expecting babies.

Stem cells could then only be stored abroad so the doctors decided to set up a UK-based business.

Their own children, now six months old, were among their first customers.

Dr Davies said: "We started the company because we wanted to protect our own children's stem cells and offer the same opportunity to other parents.

"It's taking off very well now. This has been available in the UK for about 18 months but it was mostly US companies, which store the blood abroad."

Umbilical cords and placentas are usually discarded after birth yet their blood contains a large number of precious cells, which can be used for the treatment of blood disorders, including childhood leukaemia.

Doctors have long resorted to bone marrow transplants to increase the number of healthy blood cells in a patient but serious problems, such as rejection and infection, can occur.

Thirty to 50 per cent of patients cannot even find a suitable donor.

Children and adolescents who can access their own unique stem cells will avoid many of these risks.

Dr Davies said: "We are a locally-based service and we want to offer this to women in Sussex. This is not meant to be an elitist or private service.

"Of course the chance of needing to use the cells is very small but it's a form of insurance policy - just in case."

For more information, contact Cells 4 Life on 01273 234676. The company will be at the Brighton Baby Show in November.