DELIGHTED parents ushered in a new decade by bringing two daughters into the world.

For Patrick Hambleton and Amy Arnold, the New Year’s Day arrival was a blessing, with the roads mercifully clear of traffic as the two raced from their home in Coggeshall to Colchester Hospital.

Amy, 38, said: “I woke up at about 7.30am when my waters broke.

“We thought we were going to have her in the car.”

Patrick, 37, added: “We had to abandon the car at the back entrance while I ran in to get the midwife.

“We were panicking about getting here in time, we thought she was going to be born on the A12.

“There was no traffic, if it wasn’t New Year’s Day and if it had been a busy morning, we wouldn’t have made it.”

Amy arrived in the delivery room at 9.39am and her daughter Holly arrived 12 minutes later at 9.51am. Holly, who weighed 8lb and 13oz at birth, will soon meet her proud big brother Harry, two.

“She was due on December 28 so we thought we would be having a Christmas Day baby,” said Amy. “I am absolutely buzzing.”

Patrick added: “I am amazed we’ve had a little girl.

“We didn’t find out the sex until birth and we had a feeling it was going to be a boy.

“The midwife showed me we’d had a girl and it was unbelievable, she is perfect. She is the most incredible thing I have ever seen.”

Luke Pearce, 29, and Dannielle Harrison, 29, from Ardleigh, rushed to hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Like their little boy Leo, aged two, the couple’s second child arrived six days early.

Dannielle said: “It happened very quickly, my waters broke at 2am after I went to bed at 12.15am.

“We had seen in the New Year with a quiet night at home as we knew the baby wouldn’t be far behind.”

A healthy baby girl, weighing 7lb 4oz, was delivered shortly after 9am.

Yesterday morning her delighted parents were still pondering names.

Luke said: “She likes Ivy and seeing as she’s done all of the hard work this morning she can have whatever she wants.”