Jake hurried to join the party!

Baby Jake Johnstone with dad John and mum Nicola

A young couple from Littleborough had to dash from a New Year’s Eve party to become the proud parents of the first baby born at Oldham Royal this year.

Jake Alexander Mark Johnstone, 6lb, was born at 12.58am in the Royal Oldham Hospital’s new maternity unit — its first New Year baby.

Hours earlier, mum Nicola (24) and dad John, from Littleborough, had been at a house party in Wardle with family and friends. Their plans to see in the New Year were radically altered by Jake!

“We’d only been there ten minutes,” said Nicola. “People were timing the contractions for me and said ‘you need to go now’.”

Their first born had been due on New Year’s Eve — but the couple believed Jake wouldn’t be born for another week. All new mothers in the Rochdale area use the new Oldham unit following the closure of Rochdale’s maternity unit.