A BEAUTIFUL baby boy has been affectionately named ‘Beast of the East’ after being born at the side of the road in the midst of last week’s freezing snowstorms.

Ross Benjamin Spillane was born to Angelique Jackson and Ben Spillane, both former pupils of Ysgol Bryn Elian in Old Colwyn, on Marine Road in Pensarn, opposite the Premier Pension Convenience Store, at 11.05pm on St David’s Day.

Ben, 21, was driving partner Angelique, 24, to Glan Clwyd Hospital during the Siberian freeze when her waters broke.

Ben abruptly pulled over and turned his hazard lights on when he heard Angelique cry to her mother Tina Jackson, who was also in the car: “Mum! I can feel his head coming!”

Tina, who was in the passenger seat, jumped out of the car and delivered the baby whilst Ben was on the phone to the emergency services.

He was advised to cover Angelique in as many layers as possible as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

Ben said of his new son: “He has been affectionately named as ‘Beast of the East’! We can laugh about it now.

“I remember wanting to put my foot down, but of course I couldn’t because of the conditions.

“They [the conditions] that night were terrible. It was that bad that at one point, a gentleman came out of a house across the road and offered Tina a jacket as all our layers we had were covering mum and baby.

“It was freezing and the snow was falling thick and fast. The wind had of course made it 10 times worse. It was a proper blizzard.”

He added: “We had planned a home birth.

“At 9.20 that night, Angelique got into a warm bath as she started to feel ‘tightenings’.

“I held her hand and rubbed her back and the pains gradually got worse. At 10.06pm, I contacted the midwife but they pretty much told us straight way that we would have to go to hospital as the midwives were unable to reach our home in Kinmel Bay.

“The roads were very dangerous, so we thought the quickest way would be to go along St Asaph Avenue, towards Bodelwyddan but my mum had been out that night and said we wouldn’t stand a chance as there were dangerous snowdrifts. We decided to travel towards Abergele and join the A55, towards Bodelwyddan.”

Ben, a warehouse operator, and Angelique, have known each other since their schooldays and now live in Kinmel Bay.

They already have two children: four-year-old Rainboe and Reggie, who is 19 months.

The couple and Angelique’s mum had set off for the hospital at about 10.40pm last Thursday.

“When Angelique said she could feel the head, I pulled over instantly,” Ben said.

“I was in shock, everything was such a blur at the time. Tina got into the back straight away and he was already on his way out, so within two minutes from pulling over. our baby was born.

“We were told to stay calm and follow instructions. Tina and I took as many layers as we could off as you can imagine how cold it was.

“We were then advised to make sure baby was on mum. We was told to wipe the baby’s face clean and then told to get string and to tie around the [umbilical] cord.

“We both tried our best to pull out the string from our tracksuit bottoms, which we laugh about now because we were going mad and couldn’t manage it; so I had a second thought – my shoelace.

“Tina tied my lace six-inches down the cord from baby and the paramedic arrived in a car, 10 to15 minutes or so after we first called.

“[Atfer] about another 10 minutes, the ambulance arrived and took mum and baby to the hospital as we followed in the car behind.”

–Ben said: “She (Tina) still can’t get out of her head what Angelique said to said to her – ‘mum. please catch him!’,” Ben added.

Once at the hospital, Angelique and her newborn were warmed up. She then had to delivered the placenta.

Ben added: “After all had calmed down and baby was warm, I finally got to cut the cord. The midwives were brilliant. Ross weighed 8lbs 13½ozs.

“He was born exactly on due date which, we didn’t expect. It is supposed to be a rare thing to happen.

“Looking back, it was a hell of a shock and what an experience!

“Without Tina, it would of been a lot worse. She was our midwife that night and I can’t praise her enough as she was incredible.

“We all played a part and made a fantastic team and the midwives were very impressed.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to all that helped that night: the emergency services, the gentlemen that offered a coat and the midwives.

“We are now home and baby and mum are happy and healthy. It is a true miracle.”