Two Highways Agency Traffic Officers - including Rob Clarke from Colne, were on a routine patrol when they helped with the special delivery.

They found a newborn baby and her parents on the M11 hard shoulder in Cambridgeshire.

Rob and fellow officer Karl Hensel, spotted a Citroen parked on the hard shoulder of the M11 southbound J13-12 at 9am on Tuesday morning and when they pulled over to investigate, it quickly became clear why.

Moments earlier, mother Caroline Detheridge of Cottenham had just given birth to 7lb 4oz Rosie - the first baby known to Traffic Officers to be born on a motorway hard-shoulder in the East of England.

Rob and Karl, of Wisbech, acted quickly to alert the Eastern Regional Control Centre and ensure the ambulance knew their precise location.

They set up emergency cones and arrows to protect the scene, and when the ambulance arrived, Rob and Karl ensured paramedics could lift the family into the ambulance in safety.

Jane Kelly, duty operational manager said: "We're very proud of our team for working so quickly to ensure mother and baby were kept safe while the ambulance arrived.

"The M11 hard-shoulder is not the best maternity hospital, but we were all thrilled to hear the baby arrived safely. Our whole team came into the control room to find out the latest. It brightened up our day."

Rob said: "The baby had just arrived as we did. We told the father the hard shoulder is for emergencies only, but that we'd let him off on this occasion! This is the first baby born on our network in the East, so that's great. Everyone seems to be healthy, so we're very happy to have been able to help the family."

Dad Steven Detheridge said: "We would like to thank everyone who helped, the Traffic Officers were brilliant. The baby came so quickly, she was already on the back seat waiting for me by the time I pulled over."