A MOTHER went into labour after arriving home to find her kitchen on fire.

Beata Wesolowska gave birth to a boy yesterday afternoon after firefighters put out the blaze.

Mrs Wesolowska, originally from Poland, returned from a shopping trip with her four children to their house in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, to find a pan had been left on by mistake.

Firefighters were called and the blaze was quickly extinguished, but the drama proved too much for the 32-year-old.

She went into labour sitting in a chair outside the house and an ambulance was called.

Later, Mrs Wesolowska gave birth to the as-yet-unnamed 6lb boy at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Her son, Christian, 13, said: "My mum was very stressed. We thought that someone might have set fire to the house deliberately.

"But it was just meat in a pan which had been left in water to boil."

The eldest four children are being cared for by their aunt at the house.

Neighbour Haji Jaba, 37, who owns the house where the family live, said: "Luckily, it wasn't anything serious and only the cooker is damaged.

"She originally didn't want to go to hospital because she was more worried about the house, but the firemen called the ambulance anyway."

Two fire appliances from Middlesbrough fire station attended the blaze.