"I've got a boy and a girl now, I'm really happy - it's like winning the jackpot!"

Those were the words of Craig Cavill, 29, of Wood Street, Norton, after the birth of his daughter, Layla Mae Cavill - who he delivered himself.

Mr Cavill, a team leader at Malton Bacon Factory, successfully played the role of "midhusband" after his partner, Louise Wale, 25, suddenly went into labour at their home.

Mr Cavill telephoned the family midwife immediately, but was forced to take matters into his own hands when he saw the baby's head emerging.

Even though the baby was expected to be born on June 28, the couple had not predicted a quick birth, as Ms Wale was in labour for 14 hours with their first child, Harley Cavill, who is now four.

"I started getting my partner's things together for when the midwife arrived, and the next minute, there was the baby's head,"said Mr Cavill. "I couldn't grab the phone to ring anyone, because I was all fingers and thumbs. I could just see this blue baby coming out and I just had to deliver it myself. My girlfriend said I was as white as a sheet!"

Mr Cavill said he had never had any experience of delivering a baby before, but that he did not have time to feel panicky because it was all happening so fast - and that he tried to copy how Harley was delivered at Malton Hospital.

"I could see the cord around the back of the baby's neck, and I pulled the cord from round the back of her neck, and started patting her, and she started crying," he said.

He said he then gave the baby to his partner to hold, the midwife arrived and "everything was okay".

"It was an amazing experience delivering my own baby - it was nice to be the first one to hold her," he said. "It was a nice and happy experience because we didn't have anyone else there - it was just the three of us."

Layla was born on July 7 and weighed 6lb 12oz.