Pregnant woman's helicopter dash

The police helicopter arrived within 15 minutes

A police helicopter had to be scrambled to airlift a pregant woman from a remote north Wales farm to hospital, saving a baby's life.

Kim Kells, 31, was at the farm in north Wales on Friday when she went into labour with her first child.

But the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped twice around its neck.

Midwife Judith Richards, from the Welshpool Health Centre, and paramedic John Jones, from Chirk, called the police helicopter.

They had decided the baby would not survive the one hour, 20 minute road journey to the local hospital.

'Proved its value'

The police helicopter arrived within 15 minutes and airlifted the expectant mother and midwife from the farm, near Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Clwyd, to Wrexham Maelor Hospital within 10 minutes.

An emergency Caesarean section was carried out and healthy Olivia was born weighing 6lb 10oz.

Medical staff said she would have been unlikely to have survived the road journey over rough tracks and roads.

Inspector Iwan Jones, from North Wales Police, said: "We are delighted that mother and baby Olivia are doing well and that once again the police helicopter has proved its value in serving our rural community."