HE is a normal, happy baby – but little William King would not be here at all if it was not for the quick-thinking ambulance crew who saved his life.The youngster was born eight weeks early, still inside by his protective sac, with the placenta and umbilical cord attached.

HE is a normal, happy baby – but little William King would not be here at all if it was not for the quick-thinking ambulance crew who saved his life.

The youngster was born eight weeks early, still inside by his protective sac, with the placenta and umbilical cord attached.

It is thought this kind of birth, called a caul delivery, has only happened once or twice across the world. A more common caul delivery is where a child is born with a veil of membranes across the face.

His bewildered parents, Fiona and Jeff, of Worcester Road, Ipswich, thought she had miscarried and did not even realise their little baby was inside the egg-type cocoon.

But two minutes later paramedics Jules Offord and Bill Brooks arrived and realised the baby had been born and was struggling for life inside.

After ripping open the sac with her bare hands, Jules then started chest compressions and little William, weighing little more than 3lb, was taken to Ipswich Hospital, where he stayed in the special care baby unit for two months.

Mrs King, 32, said: "We are just so grateful. Words cannot express just how much what they did means to us. You look at William every day and you know just how much you have to be grateful for.

"I just can't thank the ambulance service enough. Jules and Bill came into this house and gave William life. The people in the special care baby unit were absolutely fantastic, but he would not be here at all if it was not for Jules and Bill."

The drama had started in the early hours of October 2 when Mrs King went into labour eight weeks before her due date.

Jules said: "The baby had no oxygen, so I got him out and ventilated him and started chest compressions. It is a very, very rare thing to happen."

She added in folklore a caul delivery was supposed to be a lucky thing.

Although the paramedics kept an eye on William while he was in special care, they have only now seen him back with his parents at home the first time. Jules said: "It is absolutely wonderful – he is just a cuddly little bundle."