THE father of a baby girl born in a car in the city centre today says it has been a "whirlwind" of a morning.

Dave Bissington, 29, told the Journal that mother Mya, 28, and baby Isla were doing "absolutely brilliantly".

Dave, a teacher at Wellington Academy in Tidworth, said Mya's contractions started at 6am and began getting stronger at about 7.15.

The couple and their son Theo, almost two, piled into the car with Mya's mum Yasmin, to make the journey from Amesbury to Salisbury District Hospital.

They put the hazard lights on and used the bus lane along Castle Road as they passed Hudson's Field, to beat the morning rush-hour traffic.

Police stopped them and asked what was going on, and Dave said: "I think she might give birth any minute!"

They made it as far as Castle Street before they could go no further.

Dave said: "We got opposite Tesco and it was like, hang on a minute, it's coming now, it's coming now!"

Asked about his part in the delivery, Dave said: "She kind of delivered herself, to be honest.

"She came out very easily, which was a relief."

Dave said the pair did not know they had been expecting a girl, but already had the name Isla in mind.

Dave said: "There was a bt of a panic when she said 'I think it's coming'.

"I thought 'it can't be, you've only just gone into labour, the last one took over a day'.

"I was trying to keep our son calm. Mya said 'no, it's actually definitely coming!'

"This was obviously when I prayed and hoped the cord wasn't complicated because there was no one there who knows what they're doing.

"As soon as she started crying and the ambulance turned up we were so relieved.

"The police were amazing. He saw the baby was there and called the ambulance.

"They were really brilliant, comforting her and making sure the baby was wrapped up warm.

"I really want to thank the police and the ambulance for arriving so quickly. They were just so calm and reassuring, it was brilliant."