A Selby couple are celebrating the birth of their own little "water baby" after the shock of being evacuated from their flooded home kick-started the mother's contractions.

Joanne Warrington, 29, had to flee her home in Maple Tree Avenue, Barlby, late on Friday night with her husband Paul, 27, and two-year-old son George.

With water up to their lounge window, the family drove through a river of water out of the Wain Homes Estate to Goole and the safety of Paul's parents' home.

But the shock of the sudden evacuation triggered a string of contractions the fol-lowing day and Joanne was taken into York District Hospital.

On Monday morning she gave birth to Amelia Rose who weighed in at 9lb 13oz.

Paul, head of Information Technology at Selby High School, said Joanne - a teacher at Athelstan Primary School at Sherburn-Elmet - was tired but fine.

Speaking from the hospital, he said the evacuation had been a traumatic experi-ence as they left their new semi-detached home under several feet of water.

He said he had gone out on Friday night to find a can of Diet Coke to satisfy his wife's cravings when he saw water run-ning down Barlby Crescent.

"About 20 minutes later water was run-ning on to our estate, so I bundled Joanne and George into the car. We were splashing through half-a-foot of water," said Paul.

"We only just made it because when I re-turned the next day to collect things for the baby, I waded through chest deep wa-ter for two blocks to get to our house.

"I looked round and saw people in a boat being rescued. I saw a fish and then a fridge floated by."

Paul added: "We've been told it could be January or February before the houses have dried out.

"It's a nightmare but at least Joanne and Rosie are safe and well, and that's the main thing."

Selby@ycp.co.uk