EVERYONE was caught by surprise when baby Hannah Rose made her grand entrance into the world - especially her mum.

The 7lb infant was in such a rush to be born she was delivered in the back of an ambulance outside the family home in Bonnington Court, York.

Paramedics Martin Dodd and Dave Hagyard helped deliver the baby - only seconds after mum Joanne Foster stepped into the ambulance.

Mr Hagyard, based at York ambulance station, said: "The expectant mum walked into the ambulance, said the baby was coming and it did, literally. In the 23 years I have been in the service, I have delivered 19 babies and this was definitely the fastest."

Joanne, 37, married to 40-year-old Phillip, called the ambulance after her waters broke two days after her due date. She said: "I went into labour at about 5am and I thought I had plenty of time, but two-and-a-half hours later, after speaking to the maternity ward, we decided to ring for an ambulance. I hardly had a chance to sit down in the ambulance before she was born - it was incredibly quick and a real shock for me."

But Joanne said she wasn't complaining. "It was nice that it happened when it did," she said.

"The ambulance crew were so kind and I would like to say thank you to them for everything they did."

Joanne is now back at home after a two-day stay at York Hospital.

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, March 06, 2003