A PENSBY woman was so shocked when her kitchen set on fire that she had a baby!

Gill Groves, of Portal Road, was in the house with daughter Hannah, aged six, and five-year-old Jack when the blaze broke out last week.

She told the Globe: "It was my lamb steaks under the grill that started it!

"I left the kitchen to tend to my son and suddenly the alarm went off. Hannah was shouting, 'Mummy, mummy, the kitchen's on fire!'."

Mike Harris, of Merseyside Fire Service, says crews from Heswall and Upton fire stations were called out to the scene.

The flames were out when fire crews arrived but the firefighters ventilated and inspected the kitchen, which was only slightly damaged.

However, the drama was only just starting for pregnant Jill, who was suffering from shock after the incident at tea time and she started having labour pains.

An ambulance was called and Gill was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital where she had an emergency Caesarian operation at 9.50pm and baby Sophie was introduced to the world two weeks ahead of schedule.

The proud mum says: "She was two weeks early but there were no problems and she is perfectly healthy. It was all brought on by the terrible shock of the fire!"

Gill and Sophie are now both back at home in Portal Road.

A spokesman for Heswall Fire Station has stressed the importance of having smoke detectors in the home and reminds Wirral people that the fire brigade will instal them free of charge.