Chip shop worker Kate Naylor is used to delivering fast food but now she's delivered a fast baby too.

The 55-year-old turned midwife in Bradford’s Centenary Square yesterday morning when a young woman suddenly went into labour on a wall opposite The In Plaice chippy.

Just five minutes later Mrs Naylor, who is a mum and grandma herself, had safely delivered a baby girl into the big wide world.

“We’d been buttering teacakes and I was just taking the rubbish out at the end of my morning shift when the girls in the shop shouted to me there was a woman over on the wall having a baby.

“I went over to see what I could do and ended up doing the whole thing - it was pretty quick, over in minutes.

“The mum was crying, the dad was crying – it was very emotional. I told her to give one long push, checked the cord and put the baby on her chest. The little one wasn’t crying at first but my hands were ice cold from handling fish in the freezer so I think it shocked her when I touched her back. Turned out she had a fine pair of lungs on her!

“I'm used to picking up 250 kilos of potatoes every day so she felt tiny but she was probably a good five pounds in weight. She was a beautiful tiny thing.”

A crowd had gathered round, but was considerate, Mrs Naylor said.

“People just wanted to know what was going on, it's not something you'd expect to happen in the middle of Bradford. Once they realised a baby was being born they were quite respectful and stood back. Everyone was clapping when she arrived.

“For a new life to be born in Bradford like that is a wonderful thing. I'm proud to have helped. We've had quite a few dramas and tragedy involving our chip shop over the years but this was a happy first.”

Mrs Naylor, who lives in Great Horton Road, has delivered a baby once before when she was a nurse at Bradford Royal Infirmary before swapping jobs 15 years ago. She has worked at The Plaice for 12 years.

“It's one thing delivering a baby in hospital but it's completely different on a wall in public,” she said.