A MUM has thanked two ambulance workers who saved her baby son's life when he was born on the hospital steps with the umbilical cord around his neck.

Michelle Heywood's labour happened so quickly that she gave birth to son Isaac at the entrance to Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital.

Her screams attracted the attention of ambulance drivers Kieran O'Connor and Jim Waddicar who ran to help.

Even without emergency training, they intervened and ensured Isaac was breathing and helped to get mother and baby safely to the maternity ward, with help from Michelle's mum Marlene Dewhurst.

Michelle, of Larkhill, Blackburn, said: "It all happened so quickly and was very frightening.

"I'm just so grateful to them. They were brilliant. Isaac is healthy as can be and that's down to them -- and my mum."

Michelle, 30, was already in the final stages of a lightning-quick labour when she arrived at the main entrance of the hospital two weeks ago after being driven there by her mother, who also lives in Blackburn.

As Marlene ran inside for help, Michelle's screams from the back of her mum's car were heard by Jim and Kieran, who live and work in Darwen for the non-emergency Patient Transport Service.

Jim said: "We were just about to leave when we heard someone screaming their head off and we went to see what the commotion was. We found Michelle in the back of the car."

As the three tried to get Michelle into hospital, Isaac arrived. Mrs Dewhurst managed to deliver Isaac but they spotted the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.

Jim said: "I unwrapped the cord, then checked his breathing was OK and he was absolutely fine. We cleaned him up, handed him to mum and then got her up to maternity."

Mark Taylor, assistant operations manager for Lancashire Ambulance Service, said: "If left untreated, this was a life-threatening situation. It was fantastic that they remained so calm and reassuring and they should be very proud of how they conducted themselves."

Kieran said: "Instinct takes over in a situation like that. But the hard work was done by mother and baby -- we just gave assistance really."

Michelle, who has two other children, Sam, two and Brittany, three, had only been shopping in Accrington about 90 minutes before she gave birth to Isaac, who weighed in at a very healthy 7lb 2oz.