A PROUD new dad today said he would never look at the passenger seat of his car in the same way after his fiancee gave birth to their first child there.

Andrew Ormerod, 28, had managed to drive his partner Louise Reeves, 21, as far as the car park at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, but had to pull up quickly when he realised his son was about to be born.

The couple, of Somerset Grove, Church, today praised the hospital's security staff and midwife Christine Warden, who delivered baby Dylan in the car, for their quick and calm reactions.

Louise, who also has a three-year-old son, Josh, said she knew they didn't have long to get to the hospital when she woke up in the early hours of Monday morning and realised her contractions were just five minutes apart.

But the freezing temperatures meant Andrew had to rush out and defrost the car before they could get in it.

Louise said: "It didn't really help that not only were the car windows iced up, but the doors were also frozen shut."

By the time they set off she said her contractions were coming quickly and she knew she would give birth at any minute.

Andrew said: "I was telling her to cross her legs until we got to the hospital - there was no way I was going to deliver him by myself."

Midwife Christine Warden, who had been alerted by the security guards, had to break Louise's waters as she sat in the front seat of their seven-seater Chrysler SE.

Just minutes later baby Dylan was born, weighing 7lbs and 13ozs.

Andrew, a gardener, said: "The midwife was superb, really calm.

"As soon as she arrived at the car Louise gave birth there and then. I will never be able to look at that passenger seat the same way again.

"The security guards were absolutely brilliant too. They were there at the birth, but I think they looked away."

Louise, who was in labour for a day and a half with her first baby, said it took about an hour from the moment she woke up and realised she was in labour, to Dylan being born.

Both mother and baby, who were fine, spent just a few hours recovering at the hospital before being allowed home on Monday afternoon.