TWO colleagues at a housing office have both become parents within 28 minutes and 28 miles of each other.

Paul Mullis and Angela Wood both joined the finance department of Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, last year.

But even when Paul's wife, Victoria, and Angela became pregnant at about the same time, they never dreamt their babies would be born so close together.

Angela's 8lb 12oz daughter, Hollie, was the first to arrive at the University Hospital of North Durham, at 1.45am. Toby was born at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Gates-head, weighing 7lb 14oz.

Hollie is the first child for Angela and her husband Trevor, although he has two sons Nolan, 17, and 19-year-old Jordan from a previous marriage.

Angela said: "Having her is like a dream come true because we've been trying through IVF treatment for some time. She is our little miracle."

Angela is on maternity leave, but plans to return to her job as finance officer, while her husband takes early retirement to look after Hollie at their Pity Me home.

For chartered accountant Paul and Victoria, who live at High Spen, Toby is their third child, joining his three-year-old sister, Anastasia and one-year-old brother Ethan.

Paul, 35, the association's head of finance and administration, said: "We're delighted with our new additions and, who knows, they may become firm friends when they're older."