A quick-thinking dad rolled up his sleeves and jokingly asked the bemused family dog to bring hot water and towels as he delivered his partner's baby on their living room sofa.

All through Sasha Holmes' pregnancy partner Mark Norman helped with breathing exercises and said he would support her at the birth, but certainly did not want to watch in detail.

So nothing could have prepared him for the amazing sequence of events early on Friday morning when he was literally left holding the baby.

Mr Norman, 29, of Royal Court , Colchester, said: "Sasha woke me at 1.50am complaining of horrendous stomach cramps and thought she might be going into labour.

"By 2.10am little Lucy had been born."

The intervening 20 minutes remain a bit of a blur.

"It was all pure instinct,"said Mr Norman.

"I just rolled up my sleeves and got on with it. There wasn't time to think, it all happened so fast."

An Essex Ambulance Service controller was on hand to give instructions down the telephone throughout the delivery.

"She asked me to stay calm, keep Sasha calm and hang on for the ambulance," he said.

"Sasha was told not to push, but I said I don't know about not pushing, I can see the baby's head, she is on her way."

When the ambulance arrived at 2.25am, both mum, 31, and 9lb 3oz Lucy were wrapped in blankets and paramedics were able to clamp the cord and check the new arrival.

"It is amazing, absolutely amazing. I will never get another feeling like it," he said.

"It happened so fast. I know how David Seaman must feel. I would make a good goalkeeper."

Mrs Holmes' children Charlotte , six, and Amelia , three, slept through the whole drama and were woken with the good news by their mum at 6am.

"One member of the family who was at the birth was our 12 stone English Mastiff, Roger," said Mr Norman.

"He was totally unfazed when I shouted at him to bring hot water and clean towels."

The family are "chuffed" and "quite proud" of Mr Norman's midwife skills, but he said: "I am exceptionally proud of Sasha.

"She did this without any drugs and no shouting or screaming. By 10am she was washing up and making cups of tea."

Finally he added: "We would like to give a huge heartfelt thanks to the controller, the two ambulance drivers and the midwife - they were all exceptional."

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