A baby who surprised his parents by arriving two months prematurely was delivered by his dad after just 11 minutes' labour.

Gina Melton, 27, was sent home from her work following a 10 hour shift as a sister on Elm Ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, when baby Oliver suddenly made his appearance into the world.

Her husband Ben, 28, delivered Oliver in the bedroom of their home at South Wootton, King's Lynn, with help from a paramedic over the phone and Mrs Melton.

The couple have now thanked the nurses at the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for caring for Oliver in the days after his birth on September 16.

Mrs Melton said: 'The team on NICU were amazing. Our family will be eternally grateful for what they did for Oliver. It was an unusual delivery.'

Mrs Melton had been feeling unwell but continued to work. She was prescribed antibiotics and told to rest. She went home at 6pm where her husband ran her a bath. Shortly afterwards, her waters broke and Mr Melton rang for an ambulance.

She said: 'My pain went through the roof and I felt the need to push. Ben was advised by the paramedics to cover the floor with towels. Oliver managed to miss all the towels ironically.

'I remember talking Ben through what to do in between pushes and knew I had to be on the ball as it was too early for the baby to come.

'When Oliver was safely delivered by Ben, he thankfully came out screaming, which was such a relief to us both. The paramedics and my parents arrived about 30 seconds after he was born.'

Oliver arrived weighing 4lb 11ozs. He was stabilized in A&E department before being transferred to NICU.

Mrs Melton said: 'Oliver was taken off oxygen and breathing assistance after four days and by day six was transferred from an incubator to a heated cot and moved into the nursery.

'Oliver quickly learned to feed and was discharged with a feeding tube, which was later removed by the neonatal community team 48 hours later. The team on NICU were brilliant.

'Oliver is doing really well and is a happy and contented baby.'

Mr and Mrs Melton raised £250 for NICU and £480 for the charity Bliss during a sponsored walk at Sandringham during December.