Baby born in back of car in Chichester (From The Argus)

Baby born in back of car in Chichester

2:26pm Thursday 31st December 2009 in

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A police officer has been hailed a hero after he helped deliver a baby in the back of a car.

Father-of-two PC Rowland Watmore was in his patrol car in a lay-by when mum-to-be Lisa Sewell and her husband Matthew spotted him at 10.45am today.

They asked him for a police escort to help them get to hospital as soon as possible as an ambulance was about ten minutes away.

So they set off from Fontwell and headed to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester.

But as their cars pulled up to the hospital entrance, the baby appeared and PC Watmore, based at Chichester Roads Policing Unit, was called into action.

He said: “I had run to get a wheelchair and when I got back the baby's head was showing.

“At that point I knew she wasn't going anywhere by wheelchair and the baby wasn't going to wait so I called for help and he was born moments later on the backseat.

“Doctors had got there just in time but Lisa's mother-in-law was in the car too helping her.

“The tot will be one of the last babies of 2009.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said Mrs Sewell, of Bax Close, Storrington, and her new baby boy, are doing well in hospital.