WHEN Kaneez Fatima's seven-year-old daughter wished for a baby for Christmas, her family had no idea the wish would come true as their child was not due for another two weeks.

But the baby, who has not yet been named, had other ideas and was born at 6.20am on Christmas morning at Burnley General Hospital, weighing six pounds.

And proud parents Kaneez, 31, and Aghani, 34, of Cleaver Street, Burnley, are used to birthdays on key dates as their son Adeel, two, was born on November 5.

Kaneez said: "Everybody was shocked because the labour was very fast and she was very early.

"The funny thing is my little girl Maria had wished for a baby from Santa Claus for Christmas, and now we have one. It seems she just wanted to arrive at Christmas."

The hospital's first Christmas Day baby arrived at 2.55am.

Parents Yvette Redmond, 25, and Chris Gidley, 25, of Sycamore Avenue, had been expecting their first bundle of joy to arrive on Christmas Eve.

But Yvette said baby Clear would make for "double the Christmas celebrations" after she was born, weighing seven pounds.

Jubli Begum, 21, and husband Gulam Jilani, 25, of Brougham Street in Burnley, had a baby boy, who has not been named yet, at 7.35am on Christmas Day.

The baby weighed six pounds and four ounces and will be a brother for 15-month-old Shabir.

Jubli said: "It was my 21st birthday yesterday and I didn't really feel like doing anything, so when I get home I will be showing him off to all my friends and family."

The fist baby to be born at Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn was Callum Joseph Wilding, who was born at 3.55am weighing seven pounds two ounces.

He was a second child for proud parents Victoria and Keiron Wilding, of Shorrock Lane, who have one other son, 20-month-old Regan.

Victoria, 25, said: "We will be postponing our Christmas Day until Boxing Day but there will be a lot of proud relatives coming to see him. We should be home by then where it's more comfortable. He was due on Christmas Eve but being born on the day itself makes him extra special. I'm hoping for some good Christmas presents after all this work."