Pictures: Shropshire's bundles of joy help bring in the new year

We were barely in 2016 when little Alfred Brewerton arrived at 1.26am.

Alfred was born to mother Rosita Greenslade in the Wrekin Maternity Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital, weighing 6lbs 4oz.

Rosita, 29, and proud new dad Jim Brewerton, both of Horsehay, said their little bundle arrived seven days early.

The support worker, said: "I was really hoping he wasn't going to be born on Christmas.

"Jim's parents were at our house to see in the New Year."

Jim, 35, an NHS worker, said: "We were on tenterhooks because Rosita started having back pain at about 6am on New Year's Eve.

"We moved house a week ago so everything is ready for him.

"There will always be lots of people who want to go out with him on his birthday – when he gets a bit older."

Born just 19 minutes after Alfred in the Women and Children's Unit was another little boy, Finley-Jay, whose birthday means a lot to his mother Laura Davis from Shrewsbury.

Special

Finley-Jay shares a birthday with Laura's grandfather who died seven years ago.

She said: "It is a really special day for us. This makes it extra special."

Laura, a sales assistant, was induced, and gave birth to Finley-Jay, also at the Women and Children's unit at 1.45am.

The little boy, who weighed 6lbs 5oz, is the first baby for Laura and second for his father Jason Stubbs, 25, who is already a dad to eight-year-old Benjamin.

Arriving at 4.32am was Megan Wallace, born to mum Jennifer Neill, 23, of Madeley. Little Megan, who weighed 6lbs 7oz, was only one day early of her due date.

Jennifer said: "It was a surprise because I had arranged for an appointment with my midwife on December 30, where they found out I had high blood pressure. I ended up staying in hospital and went into labour the next day."

The last baby born at the Wrekin Maternity Unit was baby Jasmine Woodcock, whose older brother Henry, seven, had come in to the hospital to meet her for the first time.

Mum Helen, from Shifnal, said she only went into labour at 4.30am – with little Jasmine arriving at 6.30am – two days ahead of her due date.

The 35-year-old, who was joined by her design manager husband Marcus, 41, said: "We're going to have a party when we go home because we haven't really been able to celebrate much over Christmas."

Little Henry, a pupil at Shifnal Primary School, had helped to chose the name for his new baby sister.

Caroline Frost has every reason to smile –she has given birth to New Year twins.

The birth of little Daniel and Alice Frost also marks a remarkable coincidence.

They share a special birthday with their older brother Alfie, making the start of 2016 a triple celebration for proud mum Caroline.

Caroline had Daniel at 3.13am and Alice at 3.33am at 38 weeks into her pregnancy after being induced on the last day in December.

The 37-year-old, who works as a holistic therapist, said: "There was a point where we thought that we might have one twin born on December 31, 2015, and one born on January 1, 2016.

"It is amazing, all the ladies working here have been absolutely brilliant. I'm still getting over the shock of having the scan and being told it is twins but the midwives have been excellent, they have supported me all the way through."

The new additions to the Frost family, who live in Hollinswood, Telford, are exactly two years younger than their older brother, who was also born on New Year's Day.

The babies' father, Lee, 30, works at Smyth's Toy Store, and both parents knew they were expecting boy-girl twins. Mrs Frost said: "We knew we were going to have Alice, that was decided but we wanted to see what the little boy looked like.

"When he was born, we decided he didn't look like any of the names we had picked."

The twins were two of seven babies born at the Princess Royal Hospital on New Year's Eve.

No babies were born at any of the other maternity units at Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Ludlow or Bridgnorth.

Lynn Moxon, midwife at the Women and Children's Unit, said: "We have had a really busy night.

"We had seven babies in total, two at the Wrekin Maternity Unit and five at the Women and Children's Unit, including twins. All of the babies were able to remain with their mums on the wards.

"Traditionally and historically it is a busy night for births.

"We don't really do anything special for New Year. For us it is just another day but we do everything we can to make it special for the mums and make sure they have everything they need.

"Especially over Christmas because they may have other children at home who they are missing."