Bethnal Green police officers deliver baby after burglary scare

Two police officers called to a flat for a suspected break-in ended up finding a woman in labour – and moments later delivered a baby girl.

PCs Kev Howe and Gareth Ellis expected to be confronted by burglars when they rushed to Stewardstone Road in Bethnal Green last month but were instead greeted by a much tinier suspect.

After arriving at Piggott House and finding a door in one of the flats wide open they discovered mother Amiena distressed and part way through giving birth.

PC Howe said: “My initial thought was ‘oh my, what do we do?’ But then training just took over. It was a situation we had to deal with so we thought, let’s get on with it.

“After leaving, myself and PC Ellis discussed the call, thinking, did that really just happen?”

Within minutes of arriving at the flat, the officers had delivered the baby and wrapped her in bed clothes before the ambulance arrived.

Police were originally called to the flat in the early hours of May 28 because a neighbour heard loud banging and suspected it was being ransacked.

But the noise had come from Amiena’s four-year-old son Omar who was trying to help his mother.

The family have named the baby Maryama and said they were “extremely thankful” to the officers.