TWO Bradford midwives who battled through snow and black ice to deliver a baby safely at home where praised by the family they helped.

Vicky and Andy Hagyard say they will be forever grateful to Lorraine Towler and Janet Durkin for making the journey to their Denholme farmhouse to deliver their first child on Tuesday.

 “We can’t thank the midwives enough for their help in delivering our daughter, Amy Louise,” said Vicky, 27, an accounts assistant.

“The lane was treacherous on Tuesday, you couldn’t even see it from our house despite it only being 150 yards away, and I don’t think we realised how bad it was for the midwives.

“Andy said he was made up that they’d even got here as he was preparing to try to get into the car himself and take me to hospital – but I was more than relieved to see them with the gas and air!

The midwives, from Bradford Royal Infirmary, got the call around 2pm to say Vicky was in labour and it took Lorraine and Janet an hour to travel the five miles to the couple’s home.

But it was the final one-and-a-half miles down a remote farm track, which was covered with thick snow and dangerous black ice, which meant the midwives very nearly didn’t make it.

“It was the scariest drive of my life down that farm lane,” said Janet. “There were many times when Lorraine and I thought we were going to have to turn back.

“The car was bottoming on the snow and sliding everywhere. We eventually got round one more bend and thought: ‘that’s it we can’t go any further’ so we abandoned the car and thankfully it emerged we were at the bottom of Andy and Vicky’s drive so Andy jumped into his 4x4 and came to get us.

“It was a blessing because otherwise I don’t know how we would have made it to the house with our equipment.”

The midwives – who were supposed to finish their shift at 5pm – stayed with the couple until little Amy was born at 9.38pm as it was considered that an ambulance would never make it down the couple’s lane.

A third midwife, Alison Brown, who lives near the couple, delivered a new supply of much-needed gas and air.

Vicky said Amy was gorgeous and the image of her dad Andy, a 41-year-old tax consultant.

“Andy and I are looking forward to telling her all about her dramatic arrival when she is a bit older,” she added.

Last year, more than 50 babies were born at home in the Bradford area but little Amy, who weighed in at 8lb 3oz, is the fifth baby in the district to be born at her parent’s house this year.