A drug addict from Leicester has become the first in the country to be paid to have a vasectomy.

The 38-year-old, known only as John, was given £200 by a controversial American group called Project Prevention.

The group pays people with drug and alcohol problems to be sterilised and its founder admits the money is "a bribe."

The group has now started targeting male and female addicts and alcoholics in Britain.

They claim this is to prevent children being born with addictions or born into dysfunctional families.

John, who has been addicted to opiates for 15 years, told the BBC's Inside Out television programme: "It was something that I'd been thinking about for a long time and something that I'd already made my mind up that I wanted to do but just hadn't got round to it."

He said he has been involved with drugs since he was 11 or 12 and admitted stealing in the past and dabbling in dealing drugs.

He said he would spend the money on overdue rent and shopping.

It has emerged that the boss of the GP practice where John had the procedure did not know the patient was being paid.

The BBC pictured him going to the Groby Road Medical Practice.

Practice manager Nick Thomas said: "I was not aware that this patient was being paid.

"Any patient who asks for a vasectomy has to see a clinician. They would be counselled by their GP and would have to consider the options available."

A leading drugs charity condemned the promise of cash for sterilisation.

Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope, said: "It is a fundamental principle of the NHS constitution that all treatment should be both informed and consensual.

"We believe that offering cash incentives to often very poor and marginalised people in return for sterilisation runs directly counter to this.

"It is exploitative, ethically dubious and morally questionable."

Rod Moore, deputy director of public health at the primary care trust NHS Leicester City, said: "Vasectomies are available on the NHS and the British Medical Association has made clear the expectation that doctors approached by patients seeking such treatment need to be confident that the person is competent to make such a decision, and to inform the patient of the availability and benefits of reversible contraception.

"It is important that vulnerable people, such as those addicted to drugs, are counselled by their clinicians on the options available to them."

Professor David Field, Professor of Neonatal Medicine at the University of Leicester, questioned the need to pay people to be sterilised.

He said: "I'm not sure why this charity is targeting Britain. Antenatal care here is very different to the States where people with drug or alcohol addition are more dependent on local programmes."

Barbara Harris, from North Carolina, said she set up Project Prevention after she watched children struggle with addiction passed on by their mothers.

She said: "I got very angry about the damage these drugs do to these children." Mrs Harris said the money paid to addicts was "a bribe", and had attracted criticism.

She said: "I've been spat on. Typically I just say to my critics 'if you believe these women should continue to take drugs and have children, then step up in line and adopt their babies'."