A father has delivered his baby daughter at the side of the road during Storm Eunice on the journey to the local hospital.

Florence Vartan was born on Friday, February 18, at 4.45am at the A14 dock spur roundabout in Felixstowe.

Lauryn Vartan, 25, began getting contractions at about 11pm on Friday night and then at 4am the next morning she told husband Josh Vartan: "We need to go, I can basically feel the baby is coming."

The couple, from Felixstowe, got in the car and had just got past the main roundabout and onto the straight towards Ipswich Hospital when Lauryn told Josh to "pull over now, as I'm just about to have the baby".

They parked up on the verge, called 999 and were advised on what to do. And within five minutes of the call Florence was born, said Josh, 29, who works for Vartan Compliance Consultancy.

"They said you need towels and the only thing we have got is the dressing gown that's washed and packed.

"So I caught my daughter in the dressing gown and put her on her mum's chest," Josh explained. "We wrapped her in the dressing gown and tried to keep her warm."

An ambulance arrived minutes later and they were "blue lighted" to Ipswich Hospital.

Florence weighed 8lb 1oz and both baby and mum are healthy, Josh said.

"Now looking back in hindsight, it's total euphoria, a euphoric feeling," he said. "It's so nice to deliver your own child.

"But it was terrifying; a flash in the pan moment. When it was all done, the adrenalin was still pumping. It was such an amazing experience.

"It was a textbook birth and Lauryn did the whole thing without any painkillers."

Lauryn, who works as a self-employed hairdresser, was due to be induced on Friday anyway - a week before her due date - because of gestational diabetes. It was Lauryn's birthday the day before.

Florence is the couple's second child, following Jacob, who is one.

Josh said their son is "definitely very excited" about having a little sister.

"He's such a happy little boy," he said. "He couldn't wait to meet his sister."