IT was a magical welcome to 2007 for this little baby - the first in York Hospital to make her appearance on January 1.

Zara Lamont was born at 2.15am on New Year's Day, to the delight of parents Amy and Neal, who live in Escrick.

Zara was born by emergency Caesarean section, and weighed in at a healthy nine pounds.

Mum Amy, 32, a business account manager for Nestlé, York, said: "I was watching the fireworks in London on TV at 12 o'clock, in between contractions.

"To think her birthday is the first of January - that's quite cool. I don't think she'll ever be short of going out opportunities the night before her birthday."

Zara, who is the couple's first child, arrived earlier than her due date, which was on January 6.

She was induced on Saturday morning because Amy has type one diabetes which carries a risk of giving birth to larger babies.

After she was born, Zara was kept in the Special Care Baby Unit as a precautionary measure.

Yesterday, Amy said she was "tired", but "felt fantastic" after giving birth to her daughter.

"It's a bit weird that I'm here and she's in special care - but she's not poorly," she said. "It was hard but the staff here are absolutely amazing.

"They're patient, they're kind, they're caring, they make you feel like you're the only woman who's ever given birth, they were absolutely fantastic.

"I was convinced it was a boy, I was so convinced, but I really didn't mind one way or another. It's lovely that it's a girl."

By yesterday lunch time, two more New Year's Day babies had been born in York, with more expected later in the day.

The two little girls were born at 9.09am and 11.12am.

Over in Malton, no babies arrived on New Year's Eve and none had been born by noon yesterday.