Baby Josh arrives in hurry as mother gives birth on pavement outside hospital

But little Josh Haddleton just couldn't wait to come into the world and it was there, near the entrance of Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital, that his mum Alexandra Smith gave birth.

Her flustered partner of 10 years Keiron Haddleton had hurriedly gone into the hospital to search for help when Josh decided he wasn't going to wait a second longer.

So it was outside on the pavement, all alone in the early house in temperatures below freezing that Miss Smith gave birth to her third child.

As she wrapped her newborn baby in her coat and held him close, desperately trying to shield him from the icy air, and waited for help to arrive, she admitted it was a frightening few minutes.

The 29-year-old, of Bryan Budd Close, Rowley Regis, said: "I think I was in shock, I didn't expect it to happen. It was 4.20 in the morning, -2C and I just had him. It was amazing, it felt natural.

"I just tried to keep him warm, holding him like a rugby ball. It was scary but when I saw Keiron coming I knew it would be OK and help was coming."

Miss Smith said when she felt the baby coming two hours earlier at home on December 30, she assumed she would have a long wait ahead of her as had been the case with her other two children.

She said: "With my other children, I had 10-hour and 12-hour labours so I thought I could take my time but after an hour and 45 minutes I kept saying 'we need to go now'. When we got to the hospital we went over the zebra crossing and I just couldn't go any more."

Mr Haddleton, 29, admitted he was petrified when he returned to see his partner had given birth.

He said: "I have never been so scared in my life. I just panicked and tried to find a towel to put over her and the baby. I was just scared, he wasn't crying. But as I got closer he cried and I was welling up too."

After the alarm was raised, hospital staff rushed out to help mother and baby. Josh, who weighed 6lb 3oz, was checked over but was healthy enough to be sent home the next day.

Miss Smith said: "He was a little bit cold but he was well enough to be home by 1.30pm the next day. He's amazing."