A BOLTON paramedic took on the role of midwife when a baby made an unexpected arrival - on the settee at her grandmother's home.

Young mum 17-year-old Teresa Humphrys started with labour pains but never phoned for an ambulance, believing it to be another false alarm.

But the pains worsened and before she had time to call for an ambulance the baby - named Jamie Lee - was on its way. Paramedics arrived within minutes but the baby's head was already showing and Teresa realised she would have to give birth on the settee at her mum's home in Ivinson Road, Darwen. Paramedic Jason Swift used the emergency delivery pack stored in the ambulance to deliver Jamie Lee, who was born at 2.23am on Saturday - in 13 minutes!

He said: "It was brilliant. This is the second baby I have helped deliver." The first one was outside Queen's Park Hospital Baby Unit. The birth of Jamie was straight-forward and she came out wailing and screaming. She had a great pair of lungs."

He added: "You see enough bad things in this job with accidents and so on. It is nice to have a bit of cheer. I'm chuffed to bits."

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