A former Lichfield police sergeant whose officer wife died giving birth to their twins today spoke of his joy and sorrow.

Twins James and Hannah were delivered by Caesarean section after Pc Sarah Underhill died from massive blood loss on October 5.

Sgt Richard Underhill, who spent eight years with Lichfield’s Neighbourhood Policing Unit before joining the Thames Valley force, described his 37-year-old wife’s death as like having a part of himself “ripped away”. He told of his guilt at feeling happy when cuddling his children.

Mrs Underhill, a commended police officer at Thames Valley, collapsed almost 40 weeks into her pregnancy after being admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital with complications three days earlier.

Both babies are now out of intensive care and are said to be doing well.

Sgt Underhill said: “I cuddle the twins and it makes me feel happy because I really love those children, but when I leave I feel guilty having felt joy in this sad time.

“We knew we were having a boy and a girl and it was the perfect combination.

“When she died it really was like standing at ground zero as if everything had been wiped out around me. It’s like having a part of yourself ripped away and knowing it’s not going to come back.

“We were planning to explore the world with our children.”

The couple, who married in June 2005 and lived in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, were desperate to have children and were overjoyed when Pc Underhill fell pregnant. Sgt Underhill said: “We had nine months of apprehension, fear and joy.

“When Sarah got past 30 weeks we were so excited.

“Sarah was a wonderful, generous person who always put other people before herself. She was the sort of person who cheered everyone up.

“She really wanted to be a mum and she would have been a fantastic mum. I want Sarah to be proud of the way I bring up our children, I want to bring them up the way she wanted.”