A pregnant mother who was eight days overdue with her second daughter gave birth in a shop doorway after midwives sent her out for lunch.

Sarah Plews, 35, arrived at St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, having contractions but was told by the hospital staff after being assessed that she was not due imminently and should relax and get some lunch.

After she reached a cafe up the road, her baby was not going to wait any longer and Mrs Plews and her husband Dave rushed back towards the hospital.

Mrs Plews told the Evening Post: "I felt the baby coming and me and my husband tried to make it back to the hospital, but we didn't quite make it.

"On the way back the baby was coming out. My husband sat me in a doorway and that's where I gave birth."

Mrs Plews, who is also the mother of two-year-old Mabel, said a woman named Lucy sat with her while her care worker husband went for help.

Midwives rushed out of the hospital to her aid just yards away at the shop on St Michael's Hill.

Mrs Plews and newborn Ivy were taken in a wheelchair back to the maternity unit, just two minutes away from where she gave birth.

"I did sort of say 'Told you so' to the midwives. But I found it all quite funny and not at all horrifying," Mrs Plews said.

Ivy, who weighed 6lb 13oz, was born in the afternoon on December 4 and Mrs Plews, from Bedminster, said she was released from the hospital at about 4.30pm following the drama.

She added: "The midwives were fantastic and I won't pass any blame on them at all."