A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER of 99 had an unexpected delivery when she received a letter offering her a maternity appointment.

Doris Ayling, who has seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, said she was amused to receive the letter to attend the antenatal clinic.

The letter even had the date of birth of Mrs Ayling, who lives in Bognor and will turn 100 in November.

Her son Bob, 76, who also lives in the town, said the family had found the mistake funny.

He said: “It isn’t often you hear a 76-year-old talking about expecting a new brother and sister.

“I go to a regular dance organised by Age Concern UK and when I made an announcement as a joke, people looked at me as if I was mad.

“The letter just completely came out of the blue. The hospital has since sent my mum a letter apologising for any anxiety caused.

“There really wasn’t any anxiety. We just thought it was funny.”

Mrs Ayling was given the appointment for Fareham Community Hospital in Hampshire.

She said: “when I opened the letter I was stunned at first and then I just found it very amusing. I have three children who are pensioners.

“I phoned my daughter and said to her – “Guess what? I’m pregnant!”Then I told her what had happened.

“I have no idea how it I ended up getting the letter. I’ve never been to the hospitals in Portsmouth and I didn’t have any of my children there. It is very strange. They had my date of birth and everything.

“I got a nice letter from the hospital trust apologising for what happened. We called them when we got it to say it did not cause any trouble and just made us all laugh.”

A spokesman for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We have written to the lady that was incorrectly sent the appointment letter.

“It was a rare administrative error and we have apologised for any unnecessary anxiety this error may have caused."