A mother had to be flown to a Norwich hospital to give birth to identical twins because there were not enough incubators at Southend's premature baby unit.

Kelly Rush, 27, of Dorothy Gardens, Benfleet, and dad Roy Carter, 37, were flown by air ambulance from Southend Hospital to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Ms Rush gave birth by Caesarean to 2lb 7oz Lewie and 3lb Vinnie at 1.26pm on December 16 - an hour after they arrived.

It is believed she had to be transferred because three of the four incubators at Southend were taken by Britain's first naturally conceived identical triplets, Robert, Brian and Stephen Pierson, who were born at the hospital last month.

Ms Rush was philosophical about her ordeal and said: "It's just one of those things. Lot of babies need emergency care and there was not a lot they could do at Southend, other than find us somewhere else.

"Obviously it is hard because having a baby is a special time and you want your family around. But I'm just relieved they are both in one hospital and I'm here with them. "Now I'm just so happy. It's unbelievable to look at the babies and think 'I did that'."

She thanked Southend Hospital's Dr Debbie Jennings for leading the search for an alternative hospital.