AN ‘UNFLAPPABLE’ father delivered his son in the foyer of the Royal Blackburn Hospital after the mother went into a swift labour.

Midwives had set off from the delivery suite to reach Donna Rothwell.

But baby Samuel Thomas Rothwell did not wait for the medics. So instead proud dad Lee, 38, a joiner, delivered the 8lb 2oz baby.

He even stopped the umbilical cord from going around Samuel’s neck.

Mr Rothwell said: “I wasn’t scared because Samuel is our seventh so I’d seen it all before.

“The cord was starting to go round his neck a bit so I just had to lift his head up and move it out of the way.

“I had rung the hospital and said we were on our way but we were waiting for Donna’s mum to arrive before we could set off.”

He added: “She had real trouble getting to the hospital and we were just at the entrance when she told me the head was out.

“I got her just inside and a minute later I could hear the baby crying. I thought ‘My God – it’s out!’”

Midwife Colette Gregory, who was called to the scene along with colleague Sally Hudson, said: “We got a phone call at about 11.45pm from security saying Donna had arrived and the head was already out.

“We ran down there straight away but when we got there we could already hear Samuel crying.

“Mum had kept him nice and warm so all we had to do was dry him off and check mother and baby over upstairs. Donna and Lee were fantastic – totally unflappable.”

Samuel is now settling in to life at home in Howard Street Rishton, with parents and his six brothers and sisters, after his dramatic birth just before midnight on Friday.

Mrs Rothwell, 37, went into labour just after 10.30pm, and set off to the hospital soon afterwards.

But by the time she got to the hospital a little over an hour later the baby’s head was starting to appear.

Mrs Rothwell said: “My waters had broken at about 6 o’clock but I didn’t get any contractions at all until about 10.30.

“It was the shortest labour I’ve had! Lee was brilliant and the midwives who came down to me were fantastic as well.

“It will be a great story to tell him when he‘s older. I’ll be able to show him the exact spot where he was born!”

Angela O’Toole, labour ward manager, said: “We would like to offer our congratulations to Mrs Rothwell on the arrival of her new son and hope they both continue to do well.”

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