A WOMAN gave birth to her son during the rush-hour in a lay-by next to the Angel of the North.

Melanie Seymour, 30, from Gilesgate, Durham, was heading for the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, after she felt a few twinges.

But when she hit Gateshead and heavy traffic on the A1(M) she told partner Paul Welsh, a 36-year-old tattoo artist, to get off the motorway.

Mrs Seymour, a hairdresser, said: "All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain and before I had the chance to take a breath, I got another one.

"I knew I would not make it to the hospital so I asked Paul to pull over so we could call for an ambulance."

Paramedic Mark Glencorse delivered baby Madison on the road under the watchful gaze of the iconic Antony Gormley landmark.

Madison Jay was born at 5.30pm on Tuesday last week.

Mr Glencorse, 35, has delivered eight babies in his seven-year career as a paramedic. He has since been promoted to work in the clinical department at the North-East Ambulance Service.

After getting some blankets, he got some gas and air and told Mrs Seymour to lay down in the back of their estate car.

He said: "Melanie told me all she could see from where she was lying was the top of her legs, my head and the Angel of the North in the background towering over us.

"Unfortunately, there were a lot of tourists at the Angel, and two police cars had to help us try and protect Melanie's dignity.

"It was lovely to deliver Madison during one of my last shifts on the road, particularly because it is one of the few jobs that we are called to that ends as a happy occasion.

"I wish the family the best of luck for the future and I hope Madison will have a guardian angel always looking over him."

After Madison was born, an ambulance crew took the family to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Gateshead.

Mrs Seymour, who has three other children, said: "Mark was really professional and I cannot wait to tell Madison where he was delivered when he is older.

"It is quite symbolic that he was born underneath an angel.

"People keep telling me I should have called him Gabriel."