Father delivers baby with 999 help

The McCracken family in hospital after the dramatic birth

A west Belfast father who delivered his baby has thanked the person at the end of a 999 call for helping him save his daughters life.

When Padraig McCracken's partner Collette went into labour in the early hours of Sunday morning there was no time to get to hospital.

"My girlfriend said she was having pains so we were getting ready to go to the hospital, next thing I just saw the head of the child coming out," said Padraig.

"I was panicking and phoned the emergency services, but by that time the child was out."

However, the birth did not go well and shortly after being born Padraig's daughter stopped breathing.

"The the child just turned purple all of a sudden.

Baby McCracken will hopefully be home by the weekend

"I told the girl what was happening, that the child had stopped breathing and she started to tell me over the phone how to perform CPR.

"It was scary. Then she told me start doing mouth to mouth, and as I did it the child started breathing again and then she started crying so I knew everything was alright."

The baby girl, who has yet to be named, was born four weeks prematurely.

Padraig said he would be "eternally grateful" to the lady on the other end of his 999 call.

"If it hadn't of been for her I don't know what I would have done."

Baby McCracken was kept in intensive care for 24 hours but is now back on a hospital ward with her mum

"Everything is looking good now, everything is on the up," he said.

"I can't wait to get them out of hospital."

And as for the name, the couple said they had not decided on one yet as they had thought they would have another month to think of one.