NEW mum Angela Catterall knew she could put her trust in her partner when they were faced with an unexpected arrival.

And for one night only Angela and partner Glen Lowe's Great Lever home became a maternity unit when son Ryan decided to make his grand entrance into the world.

And quick thinking Glen leaped into action when baby Ryan appeared with the umbilical chord around his neck.

He got on the telephone and calmly removed it as the emergency services talked him through his ordeal. The expectant mother had been given a due date of November 14 by the hospital so expected nothing out of the ordinary when she settled down to enjoy her weekend. In the early hours of Sunday, she began to suffer stomach pains she knew something was about to happen.

She said: "I woke Glen and told him the baby was on the way and he sprang into action straight away.

"The last thing I had asked Glen was if he knew what to do if I went into labour at home and he seemed pretty sure he did."

Demolition worker Glen immediately called for an ambulance but it was too late.

Angela said: "We knew this was something to worry about but Glen was talked through by the emergency services.

"He gently turned Ryan over until the chord became free and then had to make sure the baby was breathing normally."

The couple already have two children, Joshua, aged six and Samantha, aged three.

A spokesman for Bolton Ambulance Service said: "They did all the right things and it was a successful delivery. We are very pleased for them."

Angela's mum Ann Catterall said: "I've been with Angela all the way through her last two deliveries but this time I missed it."