MIRACLE baby Libbi Walsh was given only a 10 per cent chance of survival when she was born 15 weeks early.

Three years later, the youngster has started at nursery school.

Little Libbi weighed 1lb 9oz when she was born 15 weeks early in April 2002 at Hope Hospital in Salford.

For two weeks, her parents, Ian and Lisa, were unable to hold their little girl.

Libbi spent the first three months of her life in hospital, and weighed just 3lb 14 oz when she was allowed home.

But now, the youngster has beaten the odds against her and has started in the nursery class at St Paul's Primary School in Walkden.

Her father, Ian, a police officer, said: "All the staff at the hospital kept calling her the miracle baby, but we always knew that she'd be fine.

"Lisa's grannie, Elsie, died a few months before Libbi was born, but before she died, she told us we would have a little girl that would drive us wild so we felt she had a guardian angel looking after her."

Libbi's parents, who also have a son, Jaimie, aged nine, first realised their daughter was going to be born prematurely while they were staying with friends in Berkshire.

Lisa was rushed to Baskingstoke Hospital after she began bleeding after 25 weeks. She was later transferred to Southampton. They returned to Salford to be with Jaimie.

Libbi was born on April 12, 2002, and despite her size, was able to breathe on her own.

She started school last Monday and her parents hope her story will help give hope to others.

Ian said: "When you are in the neo-natal unit with your baby, it feels like your whole world is going to collapse.

"There are so many parents who think they aren't going to bring their babies home, but there really is hope Libbi is proof of that."