LITTLE Indie Feeney had been due to be born five days earlier, but held on until just past midnight on December 25 to become Bolton’s first Christmas baby of 2011.

Born to proud mum and dad Stevie-Ann Pilkington, aged 24, and Zane Feeney, aged 31, the couple from Little Lever said it was the perfect Christmas present.

Indie was born at 12.15am at the Bolton Royal Hospital, weighing a healthy 7lbs 3oz.

Dad Zane, who was due to be cooking the turkey on Christmas Day, said: “She is the best present ever.

We’re both very pleased.”

New mum Miss Pilkington said: “She was due on the 20th but as it got closer, we realised she could be born on Christmas Day.”

Indie was closely followed by another girl, Maisie, born at 12.22am.

Her mum, Katie Ashcroft, aged 26, from Tyldesley, said her second daughter had also held on and was six days overdue.

Little Maisie Leigh, who weighed 7lbs, is a sister to four-year-old Mia.

Katie went into labour at 6pm on Christmas Eve but Maisie held on until the early hours of Christmas Day.

Proud mum Katie said: “She just made it into Christmas Day and she is the perfect Christmas present.

My mum was here with me all last night. I’m very happy and very tired.” The hospital’s new neonatal unit opened earlier this year and is now delivering babies from Salford as well as Bolton.

There were 15 babies born at the hospital on Christmas Day, a higher number than usual.

These included Sienna Jackson, daughter of Nadine Jackson and Paul Hilton; Isabella Prince, daughter of Sallyann and Jonathan Prince; Maisy Jones, daughter of Melanie Jones and Darren Rowley; Ivy Ecclestone, daughter of Amber Ecclestone; Poppy Ellen Pearson, daughter of Kate and Jonathan Pearson; Alfie Eckersley, son of Tanya Eckersley; Ethan Duncan, son of Stacey Duncan; Caspar Kerr, son of Heather and Stephen Kerr and Owen Wilde, son of Natasha Wilde.

Four baby boys born at the Royal Bolton on Christmas Day are still to be named.

Their parents are Hina and Imran Ali; Asima Mazhar; Tonia Gaskell and Nick Kay; and Qudsia Ejaz also had a baby boy.