The woman set to become Britain's oldest mother has insisted she is not too old to have a baby at the age of 63.

Dr Patricia Rashbrook is to give birth to a boy in two months after she and her 60-year-old academic husband John Farrant travelled to Italy seeking fertility treatment from controversial doctor Severino Antinori.

Dr Rashbrook, who lives in High Street, Lewes, and already has three grown-up children aged 26, 22 and 18 from her first marriage, was branded "selfish" by pro-life groups for having a child at such an advanced stage in her life.

But she dismissed any criticism of the decision and said she felt "it was the right thing to do".

Dr Rashbrook told the Daily Mail: "I don't feel too old to have a baby or to cope with the demands of what lies beyond.

"I feel very much like I did when I had my three other children. To me, there is very little difference.

"I have always looked very young for my age and we are not the kind of couple who want to drift into a quiet retirement."

The baby - as yet unnamed - is due in the middle of July and Dr Rashbrook, a child psychiatrist, hopes to deliver him naturally.

For Mr Farrant, it will be the first time he has become a father, and he said he feels "absolute delight and joy".

He said: "In some ways it is a daunting, slightly terrifying prospect becoming parents at our age, but underlying that is a feeling of absolute delight and joy. It just feels terribly exciting and I can't wait to see and hold our son. When he is born it will be a transforming experience and that for us is extremely positive."