FRIDAY the 13th proved lucky for a newborn baby boy as his gran saved his life after he was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck in the footwell of a car.

Little Theodore Thompson was born in the Royal Bolton Hospital's car park after his 30-year-old mum Gemma Price, dad Allen Thompson and gran Alison Chaisty failed in their desperate dash to make it to the delivery suite in time.

He was struggling to breathe because of the umbilical chord but his rookie deliverer gran came to the rescue.

Mum-of-three Gemma, of Manchester Road, Tyldesley, said: “When he came out he had his cord wrapped around his neck.

“We couldn’t see because it was so dark and we couldn’t hear him breathing.

“My mum got the cord from around his neck – she saved the day.

“It was quite traumatic and frightening but looking back now it is really nice because he was born in daddy’s car and delivered by his gran.”

Gran Alison said the experience was the 'scariest but most rewarding experience' of her life and that 'instinct took over' when she saw baby Theo's head appear.

The 47-year-old, of Woolston Drive, Tyldesley, added: “My eyes nearly fell out of my head.

“I couldn’t believe it and then he flew out into my hands.

“I just kept massaging and rubbing him and I think my hands were so cold it shocked him into breathing.

“I was hoping he wasn’t born on Friday the 13th but I have always said it is my lucky day.

“It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life – to deliver him myself was an amazing experience.”

Theo was born at 3.17am on Friday – two days later than his due date – after Gemma had been sent home from the hospital just two hours earlier due to her being only 2cm dilated.

As she headed back to the hospital she never expected Theo to come so quickly, following three and 10-day labours with her eight-year-old son Thomas and three-year-old daughter Matilda respectively.

Gemma said: “When we pulled up in the hospital car park I said ‘I feel like I need to push’.

"It was snowing heavily and it was pitch black and freezing.

“Allen ran out of the car and was banging on the door of the hospital and pressing the buzzer.

“I got out of the car but I knew I wasn’t going to make it to the delivery suite.

“So I just got back in the car and he came flying out.

“My mum had to catch him.

“Then six nurses came running out to help us.”

Alison added: "Gemma really wanted an epidural when she was in hospital and when they said they were sending her home I said to the nurse ‘she is worried that she will have him at home or in the car getting back to you’.

“The nurse actually said ‘those things only happen on TV – they are very few and far between'."

Born weighing 7lb 7ozs, baby Theo and Gemma were kept in hospital overnight as a precaution but are now recovering well at home.

Alison said: “He is here, he is safe, he is happy and he is gorgeous.

“It could have been a very different situation – we were very lucky.”