Six boys and six girls born in Shropshire on Christmas Day

And, unusually, all of the births were at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with none at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

Staff on the labour ward were delighted to help deliver very special Christmas presents, with the first baby, a girl weighing 4lbs 7oz, being born to Sonya Dooley from Dawley, Telford, at 1.32am.

She was followed by Kerry Deakin, from Donnington, Telford, who had an 8lb 5oz boy at 4.20am, and Amy Breakwell, from Shrewsbury, who had a girl weighing 8lb 4oz at 7.34am.

But new mum Lauren Rogers, from Henley Drive, Oswestry, almost didn't make it to hospital.

"He wasn't due until January 17 and he came very quickly," she said. "He nearly came in the ambulance on the way to hospital.

"His dad was following the ambulance in the car and I was in the ambulance trying not to have the baby until we got to hospital."

Fortunately, baby Eric waited until Lauren and husband Carl, both 26, had arrived at the hospital before making his appearance at 8.16am, weighing 6lb 7oz.

Lauren said: "He was a lovely surprise. No Christmas will ever be the same again. The family were all surprised but they're really happy.

"Luckily we've already got everything sorted for Eric at home. We're hoping to go home some time today."

After lunch, Victoria Moss, from Oswestry, gave birth to a boy weighing 7lb 11oz at 1.15pm; Alexandra Malcolm, from Shrewsbury, had a girl weighing 6lb 4oz at 2.45pm; Natasha Roberts, also from Shrewsbury, had a boy weighing 4lb 12oz at 9.14pm; Suzelle Barrett, from Lightmoor, Telford, had a boy at 10.19pm weighing 10lb 4oz; Jade Anderson-Taylor, from Market Drayton, had a boy weighing 6lb 4oz at 11.23pm; and the final Christmas Day baby was born to Leah Powell, from Shrewsbury, at 11.33pm weighing 7lb 8oz.

Ward Sister Thelma Thomas said it had been a good day on the ward with six girls and six boys arriving.

"Everybody's happy and cheerful on Christmas Day and the ward was open for visiting for family and friends all day," she said.

"Twelve is about an average number to have born."