Questions have been asked about Kent's maternity facilities after two babies had to be delivered at the roadside within 24 hours.

Brianne Hamilton, 34, went into labour on the A28 as husband David navigated the 15-mile journey from their home in the city to the William Harvey's baby unit.

But the couple did not make it in time, and their second child, Madeleine, was born in the back seat of their Lexus in the car park outside.

Mrs Hamilton is now calling for maternity services to be restored to Canterbury.

Had the Kent and Canterbury Hospital retained its birthing centre, which shut in 2012 despite a campaign by the Kentish Gazette newspaper to save it, she would have given birth in the comfort of a maternity bed.

"I decided that I felt most comfortable giving birth in hospital, and clearly I would have been able to do that easily with a maternity unit in Canterbury instead of nearly an hour of travel to Ashford," Mrs Hamilton said.

"I just think with a city like this and with all the development going on, Canterbury needs a maternity unit."

Mrs Hamilton had been sent away from the William Harvey on the morning of Madeleine's birth on August 12, only to return seven hours later after going into full-blown labour.

As the baby began to emerge, she called ahead to the maternity ward and was met by two midwives in the car park.

"I just think with a city like this and with all the development going on, Canterbury needs a maternity unit" - Brianne Hamilton

“They delivered Maddy inside the car before I was taken inside,” she said.

“In terms of the care we received it was very good and everything has gone well since.”

Her husband, 44, said: “When Brianne phoned the hospital, they said we could pull over and wait for paramedics, but I decided we should just get there.

"It was a case of two people with imperfect medical knowledge trying to make judgements in a state of high anxiety.

"I decided to make things more interesting by taking a wrong turn when I got to the hospital.”

Mr Hamilton said he did not blame the Ashford unit for sending his wife home the first time.

He said: “Obviously, to protect bed space you don’t want people using it unnecessarily, but it is some distance from home to the hospital.”

Helen Bland, the trust’s head of midwifery, said: “On rare occasions deliveries do take place outside of the unit.

"As soon as the couple arrived, staff were outside ready and we’re delighted that mother and baby are doing well.”

Meanwhile, a shocked dad has told of the heart-stopping moment his wife gave birth in the backseat of his Fiat Punto as he tried desperately to reach hospital.

Paolo Berni, of Gordon Square, Faversham, was hurrying to the William Harvey in Ashford when wife Shelley, 45, started giving birth on the edge of the town’s Trinity housing estate.

The 47-year-old groundsman pulled over and, with help from his aunt, Carole Lightfoot, delivered his daughter Lucia at the roadside on a dark Friday night.

“We were either side of Shelley as she pushed,” he said.

“There wasn’t really any time to think but we reckon Lucia was born at about 8.43pm.

“We didn’t know if it was going to be a girl or boy and it was all slightly panicky, but hearing her cry helped calm us down as we knew that was a good sign.”

Mr Berni had darted along the A251 when his wife’s contractions started at home on Friday, August 11, but could not get to the hospital in time.

Determined she wasn’t waiting, little Lucia arrived near the top of the rise in Trinity Road, just before the Eureka Park roundabout.

Mr Berni said: “After the birth I decided not to call an ambulance as I thought it would be quicker for me to get to the hospital by getting on the M20.

“So we wrapped Lucia up in what we could, I think it was some leggings. Shelley was laying on her back in the back of the car with the baby on top of her, and I darted to the Harvey.

“I was driving on adrenaline and tried hard to concentrate with two screaming women giving a running commentary on what was going on.

“I parked up right by the entrance and within seconds there were about 10 nurses and doctors surrounding us.

“The umbilical cord was cut in the car and they were both checked over.”

Mr Berni says the eventful night is now something to laugh about.

“People have told me to give Lucia the middle name Fiat, but it would have been better if I was driving a Ferrari,” he said.