DRINKS all round was the order of the day when a proud dad delivered his fourth child in a pub car park.

Lola Rose Small was born just after 8.30am last Tuesday outside The Cock in Colney Heath.

Parents Fay and Paul were en route to Watford General Hospital, and pulled over when they knew they would not make it in time.

Paul, 38, said; “Because we’ve already been through it three times, I could tell with Fay she was about to pop.

“But I was in the middle of early morning traffic, so what could I do?

“I pulled over into a nearby pub car park so kids walking to school nearby wouldn’t be traumatised, then jumped out of the car and over to Fay’s side.”

Paul, who owns a cleaning services company, said the next few moments were a blur.

“I remember being on the phone to a paramedic and he talked me through the delivery. Fay was phenomenal – so calm and focused on controlling the contractions.

“I could see Lola’s head and it was a matter of minutes before she came flying out and into my hands.”

Landlord Jim Whiting was in the backyard when he heard the sirens.

He said: “I was pottering about outside when a 4x4 rolled into the car park, followed by sirens about 10 minutes afterwards.

“I assumed it was a police car at first but when I clicked what had happened, I rushed inside the pub to tell my wife.”

Jim’s shell-shocked wife Pam, who has lived at the pub for 48 years, said she did not believe her husband at first:

“I thought Jim was pulling my leg!

“We may have had a few babies conceived out there, but this is certainly the first birth!”

Lola, who weighed just over 7lb, and her 36-year-old mother were transferred to the QE2 Hospital in WGC where they were checked out before being discharged later that afternoon.

Paul, who lives in St Albans, said Lola was getting on marvellously with her siblings Olivia, 12, Samuel, nine, and George, three.

He added: “Fay is exhausted but we are both over the moon.

“It was an incredible feeling to deliver my baby but after Tuesday’s dramatic events, I think we can safely say that Lola Rose will be our last child!”