There were never such devoted sisters as Nicola and Danielle Greenwood... because when Nicola unexpectedly went into labour, Danielle delivered the new baby.

Parents Nicola, 28, and Glenn Simpson, 31, of Sunfield Terrace, Cleckheaton, had expected the birth of Maya Kai Simpson to take place at Dewsbury District Hospital.

Danielle, 22, had gone over to help out her sister when labour started at about 10pm on Tuesday.

She said hospital staff had advised Nicola to wait until the contractions were closer together and the pain more intense before setting off for the hospital.

"She said contractions were coming through every three minutes, but the pain wasn't that bad. So they told her to have a bath and relax and wait until they were a bit more regular," said Danielle, of Odsal Top, Bradford.

But when the pain suddenly became more intense, medics advised the family to go to the hospital.

"Nicola went up the stairs, she said she felt sick. We went up and she was saying she wanted to push. We were telling her to pant, but the next thing I saw was a head come out of her, it was that quick," Danielle said.

Paramedics and a midwife arrived at the house just after the birth and helped Glenn cut the umbilical cord as well as giving Maya, who weighed in at seven pounds ten ounces, and her mum a check.

"There wasn't time to panic or anything. I'm quite squeamish usually, but you just couldn't, you just had to do it," Danielle said.

She said Nicola's eight-year-old daughter Leah was thrilled with her new baby sister. "She is loving it," she said.

Nicola and Danielle's dad Graham Greenwood, 57, said he couldn't believe how peaceful his granddaughter was considering she had been born on bathroom floor rather than a hospital bed. "I'm very proud," he said.