MUM-to-be Cheryl Bell nipped to a phone box to dial 999 - but her baby son couldn't hang on...

He put in a lightning appearance in the public phone kiosk in Church Street, Church, before paramedics arrived.

The baby dropped into Cheryl's leggings where he was rescued by his dazed dad, Leigh Swindlehurst.

Cheryl, 25, not due for another two weeks, popped to the phone box at the end of the street.

Leigh said: "Cheryl went to the phone box as happy as Larry to ring for an ambulance." He was making breakfast at home in nearby Canal Street for their children, 18-month-old Sally and five-year-old Daniel, when a neighbour ran to tell him that Cheryl was having the baby in the phone box.

Shocked Leigh said: "One minute I was making breakfast and the next I was on my knees in the phone box and the baby was there. "When I got to the phone box the baby had just slipped out and was trapped in Cheryl's leggings," he added.

Leigh ripped the leggings and cleared the baby's airway before wrapping him in a scarf from one of a crowd of people who had stopped to help.

Leigh said: "All sorts of things were flashing through my mind and I was really worried until we heard him crying."

Ambulance service personnel Carl Whittaker and Peter Lavelle, who were passing in a patient transport vehicle, wrapped the baby in a blanket and comforted mum until an emergency ambulance arrived.

Paramedics Brad Williams and ambulance technician Colin Willis, completed the delivery and transferred the baby and mum into the warmth of the ambulance.

Leigh said: "I would just like to thank everybody who helped."

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