WHILE Santa was wrapping up his festive drop-offs, nurses in Blackburn were making two special deliveries for themselves.

And for the lucky parents, it was the best Christmas presents they could have asked for -- despite the fact that they weren't expected on the big day.

Little Ella Grimshaw was the first Christmas Day baby of 2002 at Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital, arriving at 6.30am, weighing in at seven pounds, 11 ounces.

For mum Nicola Kitchen, 27, and dad Paul Grimshaw, 35, both of Mayfield Court, Oswaldtwistle, it was a start to Christmas Day they hadn't expected.

Nicola said: "She was due on December 16 so she is late. We did have plans for today, but they all changed.

"I've been told we came in at about 5.30am but, to be honest, I wasn't watching the clock."

Paul added: "It didn't take so long to get here and it was over quite quickly, but we couldn't have asked for a better start to Christmas."

The couple already have one daughter, Libby, who is three years old.

The Queen's Park delivery suite welcomed a second bundle of joy into the world at 10.06am.

Kelly Howson, 22, arrived at the hospital at around 9.30am with her partner James Mulholland, 30.

The pair, of Windermere Avenue, Huncoat, have been waiting for their new arrival since December 16.

Kelly said: "I had got the Christmas dinner all planned as well, we certainly weren't expecting him today."

Baby Shamus weighed in at seven pounds 10 ounces.

The couple also have another son, Callum, who is four.