PROUD dad Neil Worswick is starting the new year on top of the world.

He returned from taking part in a gruelling trek up Mount Everest to celebrate the arrival of his new baby.

And what a celebration it was!

For wife Lindsay gave birth on December 25 and amazingly it was the second time Neil has been a Christmas Day dad.

The family, of Ormerod Street, Worsthorne, welcomed baby boy Freddie Allan into the world 14 years after Beth, Neil's first daughter by his first wife, was also born on Christmas Day.

The stunned dad is now wondering what the odds would have been on having two children born on Christmas Day.

And he revealed he had been close to celebrating a hat-trick as his second child of three had originally been due for December 25 but after a dates mix-up arrived on January 25 instead.

He said: "It feels special. I was a bit shocked that it happened again to be honest. It's just amazing.

"My second child was supposed to come on Christmas Day but the dates were mixed up and the birth was on January 25. It must have something to do with the fact my birthday is on March 25.

"If I had had some kind of hindsight I would have put a few quid on it."

Neil almost missed the birth altogether after taking part in a gruelling Everest Marathon to raise £50,000 for charity and only returning at the end of November.

He was one of seven runners from the Clayton-le-Moors Harriers who completed the 25-mile trek over two weeks at altitudes of up to 17,000ft.

He said: "I was panicking because if she had had the baby early I would have missed it. I got back just in time."

Little Freddie Allan, who is the couple's first child, was born at 10.21am weighing a healthy 10lb 9oz.

Freddie was originally due on December 15 but nothing happened and when wife Lindsay went into hospital a week later four attempts to induce the baby failed and she was booked in for a Caesarean on Christmas Day.

Neil added: "He's settled in fairly well and is not doing too bad.

"It's my third child so I'm used to it.

"I think how am I going to cope and within two seconds you know what you are doing again."

Lindsay added: "I would like to thank all the staff and midwives at the hospital, especially Dr Basama."