An Epsom plumber claims he was forced to deliver his wife’s baby in the middle of the night while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Admir Tula, of Alexandra Road, said his wife Ervina, 30, experienced contractions at around 4am on Tuesday, July 31 two weeks before she was due to deliver.

Mr Tula said his wife gave birth approximately an hour after she suffered her first contraction, when she was told by the maternity unit at Epsom General Hospital to stay put and take painkillers.

The 41-year-old said he dialled 999 as soon as his wife’s water broke and was told by the emergency call operator that he had no choice but to deliver his baby at home.

He said: “The operator was really good. I would like to thank her for keeping me calm. If she had put the phone down then god knows what would have happened.

“I kept my cool because I needed to keep calm because I could not afford to panic or mess up. This was my family, my baby, my wife.

“We only live five minutes away from the hospital. The ambulance turned up 30 minutes late and they were looking at each other, sitting down because everything was done.

“It’s just a lack of response and communication.”

A spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS trust said: "I can confirm that our records show that we were notified of this call by London Ambulance Service at approximately 5am and responded to the scene in a little more than 15 minutes.

"We have not been contacted by anyone on this and would add that we are happy to look into any concerns raised in more detail if anyone wishes to contact us directly."