Woman gives birth to baby boy on hard shoulder of M42 after getting caught in traffic

A woman gave birth by the side of a motorway after she got stuck in traffic.

The woman and her partner were in a traffic jam on the M42 east of Birmingham when she suddenly went into labour.

The father-to-be made a frantic 999 call to say his wife was about to give birth.

Pc James Barry rushed to help the family but, despite arriving minutes after the call, the baby boy, named Tommy, had already arrived.

Instead the police officer found the new mum sitting in the back of her Vauxhall Zafira cradling her son who had been born between junctions nine and eight of the motorway.

Pc Barry, from the Central Motorway Policing Group (CMPG), said: "By the time we arrived mum had done all the hard work and we there to make sure everyone was OK.

"The family were driving home on the motorway and had got caught up in traffic following a diesel spillage. The lady, who already has two sons aged two and four, who were in the car at the time, suddenly went into labour which was a complete shock as the baby wasn't due for another three weeks.

"The husband did the right thing and pulled over onto the hard shoulder and called us for help.

"He told us that it had all happened so fast that within 20 minutes of his wife going into labour she had given birth.

"It was lovely to receive a photo of the baby named Tommy and we are glad that they are all doing well."

Tommy's grandfather, Terry Kemp, spoke about the unexpected arrival on Facebook.

He posted on Saturday: "Stuck in a car park on the M42 and my new grandson has just been born on the hard shoulder. Chuffed.com."

He added: "Got my old ticker going again, but mom and baby are doing well."