High speed delivery: baby born at Gulf Wivelsfield Service Station

Ed Donohue was delivering fuel to Gulf Wivesfield Service Station in Haywards Heath last week (Thursday, April 3), when expectant mother Amy Holmes and her partner Adam Davies pulled into the petrol station and called for help.

The couple, of Selham Close in Coldean, Brighton, became stuck in traffic on their way to Princess Royal Hospital and soon realised their baby wasn’t going to wait much longer. With a queue of cars waiting for fuel and driver Ed on site with a fuel tanker, Adam waved and shouted for cars to move aside.

Ed (50), who has medical training from his time serving as an infantry soldier, then leaped into action and helped safely deliver their healthy baby Solomon from the front seats of their Citroen Cactus hatchback, guiding dad Adam and keeping mum Amy calm.

Ed, who works for Certas Energy, said: “I was midway through the fuel delivery when I saw a car coming right towards me and heard the couple inside shouting. At first I thought they were having a domestic, but quickly realised they needed help. The driver flung open the passenger door and I could see the birth was imminent!

“The ambulance service were on the phone in the car but there was lots of confusion about getting them to the site so we just had to crack on with it.”

Ed, of Rosalind Drive, Maidstone, said: “I had first aid training years ago when I was in the army, so it all just kicked in. It was definitely the craziest thing I’ve seen on shift – and possibly that I’ve seen in my 50 years! I don’t feel I did anything special – I’m just happy to have helped.”

Adam, 34, said: “It was a total whirlwind - the most chaotic morning we’ve ever had.

“We were stuck in awful traffic, and we could already feel the baby’s head, so I knew I had to get us somewhere safe. I was beeping like mad to get us onto the forecourt in time.

“Ed was brilliant - he was by our side throughout it all. He was a ‘beacon of calm’. At one point the umbilical cord was caught on the baby’s shoulder and he told me to pull it over the baby’s head and that’s when Solomon came out.”

Baby Solomon was born at 8:46am at a healthy weight of 7lbs, 14ounces – just five minutes after arriving on the Ditchling Road forecourt.

Luckily Ed, who served in the 1st battalion of the King’s regiment for five years and previously worked as a driver for the MoD, had kept up to date with first aid training. Also on hand were staff at the service station who stepped in to help.

Adam, an accountant, said the day had originally started off relaxed. While Amy’s waters had broken two weeks early, they thought they had time to take their elder son Marlow (two) to nursery before heading to the hospital. But baby Solomon had other ideas and arrived just two hours later.

Adam added: “We’re just grateful he’s a healthy weight considering he came early and that we’re all home now. Physically we’re all fine, but we’re still mentally processing everything that happened. We were probably only on the forecourt for seven minutes in total but it was obviously a really emotional day.”

Andre Salvidge, Store Manager at Gulf Wivelsfield Service Station, part of Tap Retail Group, added: “Nothing like this has ever happened before on site. It was heart-warming to see everyone come together to help Amy and Adam. We’re proud that Wivelsfield Service Station was a safe haven for this family in their time of need. We’re sending the whole family our congratulations and best wishes.”

Speech and language therapist Amy, 36, and baby Solomon are both healthy and doing well. They are now back home in Brighton enjoying some peaceful family time following Solomon’s dramatic entrance into the world.