'Biggest' newborn baby for years

Ms Griffin attributes the size of "Mighty Joe" to her craving for fish

A woman from Merseyside has given birth to what is reportedly the biggest British baby born since 1997.

Joseph Griffin - nicknamed "The Mighty Joe" by his family - weighed in at 13lb 13oz when he was born two weeks ago in Wirral, Merseyside.

The massive newborn was delivered by Caesarean section after mother Sara Griffin, 25, underwent a gruelling 40-hour attempt at a natural birth.

Ms Griffin attributes Joseph's size to the seafood she craved while pregnant.

She said: "I used to eat a lot of meat but I went off it. Instead I was eating a lot of fish and seafood, especially anything in vinegar.

"I was eating cockles, mussels, roll mop herrings, crab claws - anything I could get my hands on.

I'm not sure I want another one, though, because they say the second is even bigger than the first Sara Griffin

"My partner Mike is a fishmonger, which meant I had a steady supply. There's no history of big babies in the family, so I can only think it must have been the seafood."

Joseph now weighs 14lb 1oz and is already wearing clothes for babies aged six to nine months. His mother added: "He's perfectly healthy, and we're all very proud of him.

"I'm not sure I want another one though, because they say the second is even bigger than the first."

Joseph, who was born on 13 February at Arrowe Park Hospital, is reported to be the biggest British baby since Pauline Curson's son Reece weighed in at 14lb 3oz in County Durham in 1997.

The largest ever was 15lb 8oz Guy Carr, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in 1992.