A Sussex postwoman delivered a baby into the arms of the police after discovering her abandoned on a doorstep.

Lisa Hughes found the seven-month-old girl, named Sky, cold and wet with dew in a pram surrounded by toys at 5am yesterday.

Lisa, 31, was on her way to work when she spotted the pram outside a house in Clover Way, Portslade.

At first she thought it was empty but when she looked inside the tiny child beamed back at her.

She raced home to fetch her mother Marliyn before returning to the street to look for Sky's parents.

When the search drew a blank she went to a house with an open front door.

Owner Myrta Vincent invited them inside, where Lisa's mother called 999.

Lisa, of Cornford Close, Portslade, said: "I was on my way to meet the van which picks me up every morning when I saw the pram next to a lamp post. I thought it had been dumped there but when I looked in it I saw the baby inside.

"She was only wearing a Babygro but apart from being cold seemed to be quite happy. She didn't cry or grizzle once.

"I picked her up out of the pram and went back to get my mother so we could try to find out where she had come from.

"We saw one of the doors was open so we went and knocked there."

Lisa, who has worked for Royal Mail for two years, noticed a handbag beside the pram, which police used to trace the baby girl's mother.

Mrs Vincent said: "I went out and there was this delightful little girl in the pram surrounded by nappies and toys.

"She was obviously well fed and cared for but was very cold so we took her inside to get her warm. Her hands and feet were frozen so we rubbed them to warm them up and I put some of my socks on her.

"Lisa's mother phoned the police while I was doing that and within two minutes there were three police cars here.

"They were followed by two ambulances and in the end there were about 15 people in my little sitting room crowded around this baby.

"Everyone wanted to play with her and she was smiling away because of all the attention."

Police launched a door-to-door search to see if Sky's mother was in the area but inquiries revealed she was in Eastbourne.

Sky was taken to the Royal Alexander Children's Hospital, Brighton, to be checked by doctors.

Chief Inspector Jane Rhodes said: "We managed to trace the mother and will be interviewing her.

"The baby was cold, but otherwise fine, and is being cared for at the moment by the mother's relatives."

Lisa, a former dental nurse, said: "I did what anyone would have done in the circumstances.

"I just hope Sky and her mum are alright and get any help they need.

"You see some strange sights in this job but I love doing it because you are outside all the time."