HAMPSHIRE'S maternity wards were extra busy on Christmas Day this year with 14 tots being welcomed by excited fathers and exhausted mothers – twice the festive average.

The Burreill family from Winchester welcomed daughter Sophie, weighing 8lb 3oz at 5.59am at Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

At the Princess Anne Hospital Hannah Shearing, 27, and Harry Halligan, 26, from New Milton welcomed their son Alfie Halligan, 7lb 5oz, into the world at 8.30pm on Christmas Day.

The overjoyed first-time parents said: "We are absolutely delighted at the arrival of our son Alfie. We just can't wait to get him home."

Emma Westbury, 46, a Civil Servant from Chandler's Ford, who had her son at 3:30pm, said that she and her partner had not settled on a name yet, and the staff had taken to calling him 'Baby Westbury' for the time being.

Emma added: "We have a shortlist of three possible names but we wanted to spend a few days with him first before deciding, to see which one suits him best."

Laura Bell, 19, from Southampton, welcomed her daughter Olivia Jade Madeley – weighing 7lb 6oz – at 5.35pm.

The first-time mum who missed her Christmas dinner said she was relieved and surprised as Olivia came 10 days early.

Pamela and James Yale welcomed their son Ernest Robert Ralph, at 8.06pm – 22 days early – weighing 7lb 5oz.

The relieved first-time parents from Bitterne said: "It was very unexpected, but it turned out alright. The nurses said that he must have really wanted to see 2017."

They also wanted to thank all the staff for their hard work: "We weren't planning on coming here, but they take really good care of you. The level of of care has been astounding."

Doctors Emma and Ben Bowsher, from Winchester, welcomed their daughter weighing in at 6lb 11oz at 5.10pm.

They said that they had not decided on a name yet, adding: "She's super cute and we love her. The staff here have been amazing, we would like to thank everyone here."