Mr and Mrs Paul and Debbie Ridge had planned a home birth at their house in Forrester Drive, but the speed at which baby Max arrived meant midwives were unable to get there.

When Debbie started getting contractions every 15 minutes and called Burnley General Hospital shortly after 1 a.m. she was told to call back when the contractions got closer.

She rang the hospital 45 minutes later when the contractions were coming every five minutes but by then baby Max was already on his way.
"I was on the phone to them and they told us to get to the hospital," said dad Paul (35).

"But there was no way of moving her, I could see the baby's head."

An ambulance was called and paramedics Rob Monighan and Andrew Savage raced to the house just in time to deliver Max, who was 10 days early, at 2-27 a.m. weighing 7lb.

"If the paramedics hadn't got there when they did I don't know what would've happened. We just want to thank them," said Debbie (30).

Two midwives arrived at the couple's home 10 minutes later to find Debbie cradling her son.

"It was all a bit of a panic," said Paul. "It happened really quickly. The paramedics were absolutely fantastic, we can't thank them enough. The cord was also around the baby's neck. But Debbie was brilliant, she was more in control than I was. I am really proud of her."

Both mum and baby are doing well at home.

Max is the couple's second child, a brother for Cameron (9).