Reports said the mother, 59, and father, 72, travelled to India for fertility treatment that would not have been allowed in Britain because of their age.

The parents, who were born in India but are British citizens living in Birmingham, reportedly told doctors they did not want the "wrong sex" babies immediately after the children were born by Caesarean section in Wolverhampton's New Cross hospital a fortnight ago.

The newspaper says the husband then asked medics how long it would be before his wife was fit enough to fly back to India for more IVF treatment in the hope of getting a boy to continue the family name.

It was reported the twins have now been transferred to a central Birmingham hospital, where they have not been visited a single time.

A spokeswoman for New Cross Hospital said she could not make any comment because of "data protection reasons".

Birmingham Council's social services department said it is investigating.

Countries such as India are known to display a cultural preference for sons.

An investigation by the BBC Asian Network last year revealed that between 1990 and 2005 almost 1,500 fewer girls were born to Indian mothers in England and Wales than would have been expected for that group.