PROUD parents Andy and Karen Gascoigne could not believe their ears when midwives announced their third son Baily had entered the world at a healthy 9lb 14oz.

That was exactly the same birth weight as their first two children.

Midwives at Darlington Memorial Hospital said they had never heard of such a thing happening before.

Karen had thought it a big enough fluke when Thomas, seven, and Jordan, five, weighed the same. She had even had Jordan weighed again to make sure there had been no error.

Hairdresseer Karen, 28, of Wales Street, Darlington, was unwell for a while after Baily was born, and did not find out his weight until later.

"When they told me after I came round, I said 'no, it can't be 9lb 14oz again'. It was quite a shock.