'Auntie' to rescue as baby arrives in a hurry

The baby was delivered in the car long before Amy Oates, 18, reached the maternity unit by a family friend who is known as "auntie" Ann Hough.

Miss Oates has now called her daughter Lexi Ann Saunders, taking the middle name after the woman who stepped in as a makeshift midwife.

The teenager said: "She was always going to be called Lexi May but after what happened she had to be called Lexi Ann. Auntie Ann was amazing."

Miss Oates, from Hoyland, near Barnsley, had just dropped off her three-year-old son Callum at his grandfather's house when the drama unfolded.

She added: "I had some back pain so decided to have a bath. I still had a bit of pain when I got out but I tried to walk it off.

"Then about 11.45pm it all happened suddenly. I had it in my head that as my son had come so easily this one was going to be hard work and a long labour so I didn't rush. Then my waters broke."

Mrs Hough, Amy's boyfriend of six years Darren Saunders and Amy's mother Wendy Peet were all picked up by Mrs Hough's husband Allan who drove them to hospital with the expectant mother.

Miss Oates said: "As soon as we were going down the motorway I needed to push, I knew she was coming.

"Just after we got off the motorway we pulled up and Auntie Ann came round to the front. I just pushed and she delivered her."

When they got to Barnsley District Hospital eight staff were waiting to check over mother and baby Lexi who weighed in at 6lbs 6oz. The tot had to be put in an incubator to raise her temperature after being born outside.

Mrs Hough said: "It feels fantastic that I delivered her but it wasn't at the time. It was scary. I was just frightened.

"I didn't realise what I had done until afterwards but she's worth it."