MUo-be Alison Cottier popped in to the local loos to spend a penny -- and came out with a bouncing 7lb baby girl!

But for Alison it was case of history repeating itself when she gave birth to daughter Francesca at the Ellesmere Shopping Centre in Walkden.

Amazingly elder daughter Danielle also put in a surprise appearance in the toilets of a sandwich shop less than three years ago.

"I could not believe it. I've heard of these things happening to other people as well but never twice in a row," said Alison, now a mother-of-three, as she recovered from her ordeal at home in Ridyard Street, Walkden.

She had just popped out for dummies and a few other extras for her unborn baby, which was due today, when she decided to use the loo before she started shopping.

But as two-year-old Danielle waited outside the door, Alison gave birth -- and then knocked on the dividing wall to ask a woman in the next cubicle for help.

Shopkeepers wrapped 6lbs 14oz Francesca in a cloth from a display and ambulancemen cut the cord before taking mum and baby to Hope Hospital in Salford.

Staff said they were none the worse for the unusual birth and mum and baby were allowed home the next day.

Alison said: "I didn't have any warning pains, I just felt like I wanted to go to the toilet. Next thing the baby was there."

Three years ago in October Alison, 28, had a similar experience when she lived in a flat above TJ's sandwich shop in Walkden Road.

She came down to tell the owner that she was suffering twinges and then went to the toilets at the back of the shop while she waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Danielle was born as Alison lay on the floor staring up at a sink but luckily the shop owner was a former midwife and delivered the 8lb 8oz new arrival.

Six-year-old son Matthew was also a quick birth -- but at least he had the courtesy to wait for about 90 minutes after Alison arrived at the Princess Anne maternity unit in Bolton before putting in an appearance.

"It's a bit of a shock when it happens but at least they all arrived in the world naturally and I'm lucky enough not to know what labour pains are like," she said.

Husband Barry is still too stunned to speak about the amazing coincidence. But both he and Alison have decided not to risk any more dramatic deliveries and there will be no more additions to the Cottier family.