Young mother celebrates birth of FIFTH child aged just 21...but they don't claim benefits

In fact, she has four more at home.

She has had a child every year since first giving birth at 16.

None of them was planned, but she and her partner Lee Beckinsale say they love having such a big family - and receive no state handouts apart from normal child benefits.

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Rachael and Lee with Felicity, five, Ffion, four, Cody, three, Cerys, one, and two-week-old latest edition Maddison

"I know some people of my age might think I'm mad but it is fantastic, especially at this time of year," said Miss Leyman, who lives in a rented three-bedroom house with Mr Beckinsale, a 23-year-old gas engineer.

"It's been hard making ends meet at times but we both work hard for our family. Lee asked me what I wanted for Christmas but I told him, 'I've got everything I want with the kids'."

Apart from two-week-old Maddison, the couple's family consists of five-year-old Felicity, Ffion, four, Cody, three and Cerys, one.

Miss Leyman, from Port Talbot, South Wales, first became pregnant while studying for a qualification in child care when some medication apparently interfered with the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill.

She said: "It wasn't planned that way, but I was delighted when Felicity was born although we didn't plan to have any more straight away."

She then had a contraceptive injection but did not realise her body would take time to adjust and was astonished when three months after Felicity was born she became pregnant with Ffion.

Six months later she forget to take the pill, and found herself expecting Cody.

She was then fitted with a contraceptive implant but that didn't work - and Cerys arrived.

Next she was given a contraceptive patch but still managed to become pregnant again this year.

She said: "Christmas has come early for us. Our brood absolutely adore their new baby sister.

"She is absolutely gorgeous and they love her to bits.

"I've been pregnant for 47 of the last 67 months - because all the kids have arrived later than expected.

"We've had so much support from my parents who live ten minutes down the road from us. Lee's mum and dad have been brilliant too.

Miss Leyman added that some people wrongly assume they rely on the welfare system for financial support.

"We've had some nasty comments from people who see us as irresponsible scroungers, but we are far from it. We've always gone out to work, our kids are well looked after and loved. We are not the type to scrounge.

"We will get married when we can afford it, but we have other priorities at the moment.

"The children bring us so much pleasure. I could never regret having them."