Mother who gave birth to her own brother and sister: Extraordinary story raises questions about surrogacy and the future of the family

Ellen Bown (far right), from Uxbridge, West London, has given birth to three children, but only one, Maddy (second from right), is her 'official' daughter. When it comes to Alex and Ruth (centre right and left), Ellen acted as a surrogate for her own mother, Jenny (far left). Ellen used her own eggs, fertilised with her stepfather Tony's (second from left) sperm. Biologically, twins Alex and Ruth are teenager Maddy's half-brother and half-sister. But legally - having been adopted by Ellen's mother Jenny and stepfather Tony a week after their birth - they are now her aunt and uncle. To the twins, Ellen Bown is both their biological mother and their legal half-sister. Meanwhile, Jenny and Tony are their biological grandparents but legal parents. To say it's an unconventional and complicated set-up would be an understatement - but it certainly isn't unique.