THEY are the triplets who survived against the odds.

Now Chloe, Joshua and Sam Chapman have celebrated their first birthday in style.

The tiny tots were born at Fairfield Hospital 14 weeks premature and spent the first three months fighting for their lives in special care baby units.

But now, 12 months on, the triplets are thriving and parents Alison and Carl Chapman, of Newington Drive, Bury, could not be prouder.

Alison (26) said: "They are all doing well now, touch wood. Their teeth are starting to come through and Sam is making attempts at crawling - they are definitely demanding more attention!"

The triplets were delivered by Caesarean section, first Chloe at 2lb 1oz, then Joshua at 2lb 3oz and finally Sam tipping the scales at 2lb, after Alison went into labour at 26 weeks. The new-borns were whisked away to incubators before Alison even had chance to look at them.

Due to their poorly condition, the boys were transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, and Chloe to Hope Hospital in Salford, before they were taken back to Fairfield one month later. They were finally allowed home on the day they were supposed to have been born.

Sam was the poorliest of the three after contracting an infection and was given only a 50-50 chance of survival. He was the last to return home in January and was on oxygen 24-hours-a-day for around five months.

Alison and Carl decided to celebrate the extra-special anniversary on Saturday by inviting family and friends to the Wacky Warehouse in Lostock where the triplets spent the afternoon playing.

Alison added: "It was quite emotional for me and Carl when we thought back to how they were one year ago. We wish we could have turned the clock forward to today to see how well they are doing."