THERE were smiles all round when Bolton’s quads met Father Christmas.

And it was difficult to tell who was more delighted to see who when parents Gillian Holden and Marc Hanley got Christmas off to a magical start for their beautiful record-breaking daughters.

The couple, who live in Kearsley, defied odds of 750,000 to one when they naturally conceived Bethany, Millie, Lucy and Ellie, who are now three-years-old.

With the help of organisation Bridges, a family support service, and their eldest daughter Abbie, aged 12, the couple took the quads to meet Father Christmas, who was staying in a winter wonderland created at Newbank Garden Centre in Radcliffe.

The girls, dressed in Santa outfits brought smiles to the faces of customers as they danced to the festive tunes, excitedly waiting to meet the big man himself — to tell him they all wanted bikes for Christmas.

The girls started nursery this year with Lucy, Bethany and Millie at Kearsley West Primary School and Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, at Green Fold nursery in Farnworth.

Lucy said: “I was very excited to meet Father Christmas, I really enjoyed meeting him, it was really nice.”

Bethany added: “I told him I wanted a bike for Christmas.”

Millie added: “He was very nice, I said I wanted a bike as well.”

The girls all received a gift from Father Christmas.

Gillian, aged 39, said: “I’m so proud of them. They were really excited to meet Father Christmas.”

And Father Christmas himself said he was delighted to have met the quadruplets.

He said: “It is the first time I have ever met quads, and they are such a lovely group of young ladies, all smiling.

“I feel really privileged to have been able to meet them. They are not shy and were interested in what I was saying, what wonderful parents to bring them up like that.”

The girls were so delighted to meet Father Christmas they gave him a kiss before leaving.

Abbie, who attends Kearsley Academy, said: “It was great for the girls to meet Father Christmas, and he was so lovely.”

The couple say the hard work and worry do not get any easier as they girls get older — Ellie is still needs extra oxygen and is due to go back into hospital anytime for an operation — but they are thankful for the support they have received.

She added: “We have heard that we have got funding to get sensory equipment for Ellie’s bedroom which will make such a big difference to her and we are so grateful for that and to Bridges for helping us.”