THE Torpoint Ferry had an unexpected new passenger when a baby was born in the back of a Westcountry Ambulance halfway across the Tamar.

Mum Christine Greenwood went into labour just before 3am at 38 weeks, two weeks earlier than the expected delivery date, and her partner Matthew Windsor called an ambulance at 6.30am.

A Torpoint paramedic was the first to arrive and at 6.45am the ambulance, having come across from Plymouth on the ferry, the Lynher II, also arrived.

'I wasn't in a panic because I thought I had at least another couple of hours to go,' said Christine.

'But the ambulancemen weren't taking any chances and called to the same ferry to wait for us.

'As soon as I was on the ferry everything started to happen and five minutes later Jessica was born.

The paramedic who brought her into the world said it was his fourth delivery and he seemed quite pleased.'

Christine and baby Jessica Maggie, who weighed a petite 4lbs 6oz, were taken to Derriford Maternity Unit.

But for dad Matthew, Jessica's arrival was too quick.

The couple have three other children, Brook Marie (4) Charlie (2) and Skye (1), and he had to stay behind until friends arrived to look after them.

'I missed the birth by about half an hour,' he said. 'When I got to Derriford Jessica had already arrived!'

For Matthew and Christine their baby girl's arrival in such an unusual location immediately led to the question of where she had actually been born.

A call to the register office confirmed what they had already thought when staff said they believed baby Jessica had been born neither in Cornwall nor Devon.

However, they were taken a bit aback when it was suggested the birth certificate should state their daughter had, in fact, been born on the Torpoint Ferry.

Christine said: 'We thought Jessica would never live that down when she was growing up. We also thought it would look a bit odd on her passport.'

However, when the couple registered their new arrival they were delighted to be given the choice of Cornwall or Devon as the place of birth – and they immediately chose Cornwall.

It is almost 10 years ago since the last birth was recorded in a car on the Lynher II.

Congratulating the couple, ferry manager Rod Sugden said: 'It's all part of the service!'