Gavin and Jess Attwood with baby Riley - born in their back of their Ford Focus

by Gerry Warren

A hospital dash for heavily pregnant Jess Attwood ended in a lay-by when her baby boy was born on the back seat of a Ford Focus.

The frantic 32-year-old was being rushed to the maternity unit by partner Gavin after her waters broke at their home in Pine Tree Avenue, Canterbury, shortly before 4am.

The couple were heading for Ashford's William Harvey Hospital because deliveries at Canterbury Birthing Centre were stopped earlier this year.

But they got only as far as Wincheap roundabout when Jess shouted: "Pull over – the baby's coming!"

Just minutes after little Riley was born, a friend of Gavin's stumbled on the chaos as he left a nearby nightclub and asked: "What’s going on here then?"

Gavin, 31, said: "I pulled into a lay-by in the entrance to Station Road East. I've never been so scared in all my life and dialled 999. The paramedics arrived six minutes later, by which time the baby's head was showing.

"A few minutes later he popped out. Then a mate of mine, Miles Williams, walked past at 4am on his way home from a nightclub.

"He saw me and the flashing blue lights and said 'what’s going on here?'. I said 'we've just had a baby, mate' – it was all quite surreal.

"To be honest, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do and was so relieved when the ambulance arrived."

Jess, 32, who works with adults with learning difficulties, has a 12-year-old son Jordan from a previous relationship and Harry, four, with Gavin.

She said: "I would have liked to have gone to the birthing unit at Canterbury where Harry was born. It's a great shame they closed it because it's a long way to Ashford when you are in labour. I was 14 days late and due to be induced the following day.

"When my waters broke, we rang the hospital and they told us to get over there straight away.

"I was crying and said to Gavin that I didn't think we would make it in the car but I got in the back seat and we set off anyway.

"I was trying to hold on but in the end I just had to let it happen."

Gavin and Jess Attwood in their car where baby Riley was born

Baby Riley was born weighing 7lb 2oz and both he and his mother are now doing well back at home.

Gavin, who works as a car valeter, said: "It's just as well I do the job I do because I've never seen such a mess in a car.

"But I'm not sure I could have done it had it not been my own baby."