A COUPLE from Dorchester today told of their attempt for a second 'little miracle' - a baby brother or sister for their son born by artificial insemination.

Keith and Julie Horn, from Dorchester, were the first couple to successfully complete treatment at the county town's Winterbourne Hospital when their son David was born eight years ago.

Now they have returned to the Winterbourne's fertility unit to try for another child.

Recently the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has named Winterbourne as the fifth most successful of Britain's 75 licensed clinics which help infertile people have children.

The complex, on Herringston Road in Dorchester, boasts a 34.6 per cent success rate for women of all ages undergoing IVF - in vitro fertilisation - treatment.

Daniel Horn, now aged eight, was the first baby to be born to the private hospital after his mum was successfully treated using the donor insemination method.

His dad, Keith found he was infertile after an operation on his undescended testicles was performed too late.

Keith 39, a Royal Navy aircraft engineer, said: "Daniel is very special because he is the son we thought we could never have, and he is also the first baby from Winterbourne.

"We decided to try for another child and came back for more donor insemination and in vitro fertilisation, which sadly did not work.

"Now my wife Julie is undergoing interuterine treatment.

"It has cost us thousands of pounds but it is worth it - we just hold out the hope that it is going to work this time round.

Julie, 31, a midwife, said: "We are very lucky to have such a good fertility centre on our doorstep.

"The staff are very good - we know they cannot perform miracles to order, but we are hoping for one anyway. Daniel is very special to us, a truly lovely child, but it's very painful to think he might be our only one.

"It just feels like there's something missing from our family."

The fertility unit's medical director, Michael Dooley, said: "Our success is down to four considerations - medical, emotional, ethical and financial.

"We use an integrated, holistic approach, paying attention to the little details like diet, giving up smoking, caffeine and alcohol."