COOL-headed Southampton dad Anthony Hill turned midwife when his wife unexpectedly started to give birth on their bathroom floor.

Anthony, 26, had escorted Joanna to the car minutes earlier, but she suddenly realised the journey would take too long.

So, instead, the couple went back indoors and prepared for a natural birth at their home in Sholing.

A paramedic at the end of a phone guided Anthony through the early stages of the delivery and told him to protect the baby's head as it started to appear.

Then a team of paramedics arrived and completed the delivery.

Joanna, 26, said: "It all happened so quickly. Time just seemed to disappear.

"I was quite frightened when I realised it was all going to happen in the bathroom. But Anthony was really calm about it and that helped me.

"With hindsight it was lovely, but at the time I was a bit panicky. I was afraid that something might go wrong."

Anthony said: "I didn't have time to get nervous about it - I just did what the girl on the phone said. We really want to thank the paramedics - they were absolutely brilliant."

Bouncing baby boy Samuel Anthony James weighed in at 7lb 12oz.

For the three ambulance crew members - Ken Kelly, Arron Miller and Howard Farley - the birth was a rare experience.

Arron, the ambulance technician who delivered Samuel, said: "I've just finished my training and that was my first opportunity to do that.

"Having said that, I know paramedics who have been working for 20 years and have never delivered a baby. It was quite an amazing event, a really fascinating experience. It was an honour to be there really."

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