FOURTH time dad, Dave Meek, found himself delivering his own baby daughter when wife, Trudy – a Forest postlady – went into sudden labour at the family home.

Dave, from Hazel Hill near Drybrook, says: "Trudy was nearly two weeks overdue and I'd only just brought her back from hospital.

"We got back home, I took the kids to school and then got back to find she'd gone into labour. There wasn't much I could do. I went out to take her to the car but she said 'I'm just not going to make it.'

"There wasn't anything I could do, except get in and sort out some towels and blankets."

Dave, a former electrical contractor now house husband, said: "This was about 10.30 in the morning and the midwife said she couldn't get to us for half an hour. It was all over by 10.45am and she arrived 15 minutes later.

"It was interesting, but I've obviously been at the birth of all our other three, so I had some idea of what to do.

"Funnily enough Trudy is a local postlady, working out of Cinderford on the Rodley round. You could say she's had her own recorded delivery at home."

Trudy's mother, Ann Ballinger, took up the story.

"I can't believe my son in law has just delivered my daughter's baby all on his own. It all happened a bit too quick really. Trudy was due to go into Gloucestershire Royal but things started on their own.

"She didn't want to get in the car because it was all happening so quick and she didn't want to have it in the car. She'd left it too late.

"I was running up and down with my stomach all over the place, but me son-in-law was as cool as a cucumber. He got everything sorted, sheets, hot water, everything and it was all over really quickly.

"It's just a lovely story when we're surrounded by bad news. And even better, it's a little girl – they've already got three boys. A great New Year present."