A nine-year-old girl told last night how she delivered her baby brother in the bathroom after her mother went into unexpected labour.

Jodie Coupland was woken by her mother, Bev, who began having regular contractions in the early hours of the morning.

The youngster then followed instructions from a 999 operator when 30-year-old Ms Coupland could only make it as far as the bathroom.

Two paramedics arrived to find that the youngster had brought her brother, Travis, into the world moments earlier.

Jodie, of Strensall, near York, said: "I got the head out and my grandma, who had just arrived, got the rest out.

"It made me feel weird because I have never done anything like that before.

"It was the best day of my life. We have got a special bond and I like to spend a lot of time cuddling and feeding him."

Jodie, a pupil at Robert Wilkinson Primary School, spoke to ambulance control room assistant Caroline Bowden who gave her instructions over the phone.

Ms Coupland, who also has a six-year-old daughter, Zoe, said: "It was all a bit of a shock but Jodie was a real hero.

"I was busy screaming but she was so calm and just followed the instructions."

Travis was taken to hospital for checks after his dramatic birth.

But the baby boom was not over for paramedics Brian Freeborn and Alf Pickering who attended Bev.

For their next call saw them acting as midwives in York District Hospital car park when Val Gaten, of Tang Hall in York gave birth in the back of their ambulance.

Mr Freeborn, who has 27 years experience in the service, said: "We don't get called to many births, so two in two consecutive calls is incredibly rare."

Val , 35, was nine days overdue with her fifth child.

She began having contractions just after her husband, Bob, had gone to work, so she called an ambulance and contacted him.

As she travelled to hospital it became clear that little Harry could not wait, and he was born in the hospital car park, weighing in at 8lb 2oz.

"I never expected not to make it to hospital," said Val.

"It all happened so quickly that I didn't really have time to think about it."