Builder Steve Lipscombe turned midwife to deliver his newborn daughter - including calmly freeing the cord from around her neck.

The DIY delivery started after Steve's girlfriend Michelle Clayson decided she would go out with the couple's other child, Mitchell, for a takeaway meal.

Steve, 40, said: "She went out and I went for a bath. Twenty minutes later she came back and said, 'I think I'm going to have the baby'."

Steve jumped out of the bath and phoned Harwich Hospital and got her bags ready to leave.

But baby could not wait, leaving Steve to take control. He called for help and an ambulance controller gave advice over the phone.

Steve ran from the phone to Michelle to carry out the instructions - but realised the cord was around the baby's neck.

Steve recalled: "He said to try to ease it over the baby's head. I could not get it over straight away but Michelle pushed and it came away. She pushed again and the baby came out.

"I was lying there with the baby in my arms and the ambulance arrived two minutes later. I was nervous. I kept saying to myself 'I can't believe you have done this'."

The speedy delivery took 20 minutes. Steve added: "They told us it would be quick - but we didn't think it would be that quick."

Midwives arrived to check Michelle and newly-born 7lbs Kelsey who were both well. Steve said: "They said everything was fine and I had not done anything wrong.

"I said 'I'm glad you turned up when you did' and they said 'you could have managed'."

Michelle, 24, of Porter Way, Clacton, said: "I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't been here."

Speedy births are not entirely new for Michelle. When Mitchell was born, Michelle was due to go to Harwich Hospital - but she only made it to Clacton Hospital before giving birth.

An Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust spokesman said: "Mr Lipscombe did very well, he kept calm, he followed the instructions to the letter and he was very professional."

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