Nursery school teachers face double trouble after a bizarre baby boom pushed the number of identical twins and triplets through the classroom roof.

Now Christchurch Nursery in Braintree could lay claim to a record for the number of twins and triplets in one class.

An astonishing five sets of twins and one group of triplets make up almost half of the class at the London Road pre-school.

Bewildered teacher Julie Fenwick said: "First we thought we were seeing double - now we are seeing triple too. With three sets of identical boys and two pairs of identical girls it can all get very confusing."

Lookalike two-year-olds Shannon and Chanelle Beagrie cause most problems for baffled staff.

"It's impossible to tell them apart, it really is," she added. "Usually there is something which can help you but there isn't with those two.

"They are getting a bit fed-up because we have to ask them which is which. They always wear the same clothes - you just have to guess."

Identical twins Joseph and Nicholas Moxon, and Rhys and Oliver King, all aged four, and three-year-olds Chloe and Megan Shuttlewood, add to the classroom chaos.

Instead of taking the register, teachers are now thinking of holding an identity parade to help with their double vision.

Samuel and Thomas Lightly - who form the class's four-year-old triplets with their sister Gemma - also caused a bit of a headache when the trio started at the nursery.

"At first it was difficult. But now I've cottoned on and can tell them apart," their teacher said.

Luckily there is less brotherly bother from Tyler and Scott Kemp - the only set of non-identical twins.

"All of a sudden there seem to be more and more twins about. We've never had so many together before," their teacher added. "It's quite amazing. And it's quite funny seeing double and triple all the time."

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