WHEN pregnant Georgina Hughes was sent home from hospital with labour pains, she was told it could be days before her baby arrived.

But daughter Carmen made a surprise appearance less than two hours later in the back of an ambulance outside her home in New Herrington, Wearside.

She was the 15th baby delivered by paramedic Joe Woodcock and the first for his colleague, Caroline Henderson.

Stunned new father Nathan Hughes, 28, said: "It was a shock, but we cannot praise the paramedics enough. They were absolutely amazing."

Georgina, 26, and Nathan went to Sunderland Royal Hospital on May 1, but were sent home.

The couple went back home at 11.15pm, but at 12.45am, Georgina realised things were moving faster than expected.

Carmen was born in the back of the ambulance at 1.06am, weighing 8lb 1oz.