Passengers help as mother gives birth on a London bus

Olatidebe Agboola, believed to be the first birth aboard one of the capital's buses, arrived weighing 7lb 8oz at the back of a No394 in Hackney last Thursday.

His parents have given him the middle name Dennis, after the vehicle's manufacturer.

As Emiloju Fatima Lawal went into labour, driver Pauline Jacobs alerted controllers to dispatch an ambulance.

She parked the single-decker near Mare Street to help Ms Lawal, assisted by passenger Carole Allen, 60, a switchboard supervisor at Homerton hospital.

Ms Lawal, 37, of Hackney, who was not due to give birth until today, said: "A man asked if I was ok, I said 'No, I'm in labour.'

"A few minutes later he came out and I said 'Excuse me, the baby is here.'"

Ms Allen said: "He just flew out onto the floor. I didn't feel panicked, just relieved."

Ms Lawal, who has three other children, was taken to hopsital and was back home that day.

She said: "I want to say 'thank you' to Carole and Pauline for everything they did."