It is a 1 in 100,000 chance - but a Norfolk farmer shares his birthday with his daughter and granddaughter.

August 30 is a busy day on the Cook family calendar in their seaside farmhouse.

It is ringed for farmer Robert, and for his daughter Anna and granddaughter Hope.

And as Mr Cook marked his 60th this weekend all three were together for their first birthday together amid a day of cake and celebration.

'When Anna was born we quite pleased and surprised she shared my birthday. We had not planned it.

'When Hope was born we thought it was marvellous to have three of us on the same day,' said Mr Cook who runs the family farm and farm shop at Sea Palling with wife Cherry.

Daughter Anna Sherratt, who is 31, now lives in Blyth, Northumberland where her husband Phil is a pastor at a community church. She does supply teaching and also runs a bouncy castle business.

Hope was born at Newcastle Hospital and marked her third birthday this weekend.

Mrs Sherratt said: 'It is a really special day. Hope was two weeks late and was induced. She arrived at about 1am, so she only just made it into the same birthday.'

Ten years ago Mr Cook was joined by his daughter for his 50th and her 21st - but this year Hope added a extra member to the elite family birthday club.

About 50 friends and family attended the triple celebration, for food, drink and a bouncy castle.

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said the odds of three generations sharing the same birthday were 'at least 100,000 to one.'

The bookmakers got lots of bets on birth dates, including for two generations to share a day, but never for three he added.