THE best Christmas presents of all were delivered on December 25 at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The Princess Anne maternity unit was kept busy with 12 babies born on Christmas Day.

Baby Daniel John is the most special gift for his proud parents Claire and Philip Bond, aged 41, from Horwich.

The couple have been trying for eight years for a baby and their son was born as a result of a second IVF attempt.

He was born at 5.29am weighing a healthy 6lbs 8oz and decided to arrive on Christmas Day rather than his due date of December 18 to share his birthday with his grandad John Noone, who turned 65.

Mrs Bond, aged 39, said: “We are so ecstatic, we can’t stop looking at him.

“We have been trying for eight years and you can’t get a better Christmas present, I didn’t think he would arrive on Christmas Day — I think it was doing the full Christmas shop-ping that did it.

“I would just like to say a big thank you to all the staff who have been amazing.”

Queenie-Rose Nedderman was determined not to miss out on Christmas Day with her two big sisters, Ellie, aged seven, and Lottie Stewart, aged three.

“So the baby girl arrived two weeks early, and was born at 5.40am weighing 7lbs 11oz. Mum Samantha Hart, aged 28, from Great Lever, said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet that she has been born on Christmas Day, it is the best present.

The family were able to go back and enjoy Christmas dinner at home — and celebrate Queenie-Rose’s birthday.

Ellie said: “She is gorgeous, I opened my Christmas presents and then came to see my little sister.” Neel Patel, aged 32, also had an unexpected present with the arrival of Mohammed, who was born at 6.54am weighing 6lbs 6oz.

He should have arrived on December 21, but mum wasn’t the only one eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Mrs Patel, from Bolton, said: “His three-year-old brother has been really excited asking if his brother was here. There is no way anyone can forget his birthday now.” Katie Holgate, aged 22, celebrated the arrival of her first child, Thomas at 7.21am. He arrived weighing 7lbs 10oz.

She said: “He was due on December 28 and I didn’t expect him on Christmas Day, and thought he may come New Year’s Eve.” Christmas Day will also be extra special from now on for Rashida Hussain, aged 27, who gave birth to her second child, Muhammad Qasim Farooq.