A COUPLE caused a stir at a hospital maternity ward when their twins were born on different days.

Despite being born only minutes apart either side of midnight, twins Louise and Luke Raddings will always celebrate their birthdays on separate days.

Their mum, Mandy Raddings, was in labour for 12 hours at York District Hospital.

After she had given birth to baby Louise on October 16 and Luke eight minutes later on October 17, hospital staff were looking through their maternity ward records book.

Mandy, 33, who works at the JobCentre, in Selby, said: "Our midwife told us that in the 16 years she had been working as a midwife, she had never seen this happen. In fact no one we spoke to at the hospital can remember this happening before."

Mandy said that at first she was disappointed to learn that the twins had different birthdays, but now thought it might benefit them when they were older by encouraging individuality and independence.

Louise, who weighed 6lb 3oz at birth, and her younger brother Luke, who weighed in at 5lb 10oz, wowed both staff and patients at York District Hospital.

Mandy, who lives off Westbourne Road, Selby, with her husband Andrew, said: "The twins got a lot of visitors. Everyone who heard about them wanted to come and see them."

The twins are now happily settled at home with their parents and older brother Joseph, five.

Updated: 13:06 Wednesday, October 30, 2002