ONE of the last babies to be born in the old millennium raised money for charity the moment he drew breath.

Alistair Robert Watson was born on December 28 at 1.35am at Birch Hill Hospital, Wardle.

Before his birth, his parents, Lancashire Evening Telegraph journalist Catherine Smyth and her husband, Martin Watson-Levack, organised a fund-raiser for the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign with two competitions among their different friends, colleagues and associates to guess Alistair's birth weight.

Asda, in Burnley, donated a £10 gift voucher for one winner and the couple, from Weir, Rossendale, donated a second. Townhouse School, in Nelson, also made commemorative paper weights for the two winners.

Said Catherine: "It was a nice way to raise money and everyone we asked was more than happy to have a guess at his weight - mind you, some of the questions the ambulance personnel asked were a bit personal.

"Alistair fooled everyone by arriving a week early and so his birth weight was 6lb 9oz - had he been on time he would have topped 7lb.

"As it was, I was delighted he arrived early - there was too much hype about millennium babies.

"The NSPCC was a natural choice to benefit from the £103 that was pledged. The Full Stop Campaign aims to end violence and the mistreatment of children, which is something everyone should support."

NSPCC Burnley and Pendle branch vice-president Rita Walsh, said: "Alistair will be brought up in a very happy home. Not all children are able to have those guarantees, which is where the NSPCC comes in."

The winners were Frances Heslop, who is in charge of the elderly mentally ill department at Highfield Hall Nursing Home, Haslingden, and Keith Masser, highways manager at Rossendale Council, where Martin works.

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