Mum Tracey Taylor got a special Valentine surprise when her baby son was born on the back seat of a car as she rushed to hospital.

Tracey, 26, and her husband Darren, 32, had only just left their home in Burgess Hill in the early hours of yesterday morning when baby Harrison decided to arrive.

Darren pulled the car to the side of the road where Tracey gave birth on the back seat of the Citroen at 1.55am on Valentine's Day.

The couple had left their home in Charlswood Gardens moments earlier and had only reached nearby Valebridge Road when Harrison, who weighed 8lb 2oz, made a quick arrival.

Proud grandmother Yvonne Rideout was in her car waiting ahead of the couple when she discovered there was no time to reach the hospital.

Yvonne, 57, who lives in Downland Avenue, Southwick, intended to drive to the Princess Royal Hospital, in Haywards Heath, about ten minutes away, to be with Tracey at the birth.

But as she waited for their car, she realised Tracey would not make it.

She said: "Darren pulled up behind my car and called out to me the baby was coming. There was no time to panic. When I got to their car, Tracey was on the back seat and Harrison just shot out.

"I picked him up and he started crying and I just told Darren to take off his jacket so we could wrap him in it.

"Tracey could not believe what happened. It was all so quick. We thought we had plenty of time to reach the hospital."

The couple did not wait for an ambulance but drove on to the Princess Royal in order to arrive as soon as possible.

Yvonne said mother and baby were doing well. She said: "The baby is lovely and Tracey is fine.

"Harrison is a lovely St Valentine's Day present for the family. We will never forget how he arrived."

The couple have two daughters, four-year-old Aliyah and three-year-old Teigan, who were both born at the Princess Royal.