A MAN fathered twins using sperm frozen almost 27 years earlier and landed himself a world record.

He now holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest sperm ever successfully used for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The dad, a musician from Glasgow, holds the record anonymously.

He said: "People going through chemotherapy should keep hope." "When we finally saw on a scan we were having twins I was in shock."

Doctors told him chemotherapy treatment would make him infertile so his sperm was frozen for 26 years and 243 days.

When he met his partner he had to explain that she would need IVF if they were to have children.

The couple, who live in Glasgow, did not use the sperm until 2010, when he was 47 and she was 37. She became pregnant with twins and the boy and girl were born in 2011.

The dad said he knew he held the record for the oldest sperm used in successful IVF but did not want publicity.

However, when he realised he could be listed anonymously by Guinness World Records he came forward and recently had his record accepted.

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority the standard storage period for sperm is normally 10 years, although in certain circumstances it can be kept for up to 55 years.