Armley Gyratory in Leeds brought to standstill as woman gives birth in road and heroic onlookers rush to help

Debby Minzele, 31, went into labour on the Armley Gyratory at an inopportune moment as husband Chris, 32, desperately tried to get them to the nearest hospital.

The Beeston couple said they were left with no choice but to deliver their daughter in the road - and thankfully the pair were offered assistance by three women driving past who were later described as "angels sent by God".

Melanie Murtagh, 34, with pals Natasha Grierson, 33, and Kaphia Dennis, 31, were on their way to grab lunch when they saw a pair of legs sticking out of a stationary car in the middle of the road.

"We wondered what was going on, because the car didn't have its hazards on or anything," explained Melanie, from Swarcliffe.

"When we realised what was happening, we pulled in front and all three of us ran over to help."

The group rang an ambulance and were giving directions as the scene unfolded.

Melanie continued: "There was nothing to wrap the baby in, so we stripped off our clothes and used them to cover her.

“I ran over to a central reservation to grab traffic cones, which we used to stop cars from passing. We must have looked so strange - three women running around the Armley Gyratory with no clothes on."

The exhilarating experience on Monday (October 23) inspired Natasha, from Little London, to consider going into midwifery. She said: "I'm heavily pregnant myself, so witnessing that was scary. With the adrenaline, you're just thinking what's the next step, what's the next thing to do? Words can't even describe what it was like."

Kaphia Dennis, 31, from Hyde Park, added: "We just wanted to do anything we could to help."

Filled with adrenaline from the birth, the team headed down to St James' Hospital with a teddy bear to meet the family properly. Debby was being checked over after losing blood during the birth, but she has now fully recovered.

The women found dad Chris in the reception, who was still overwhelmed by what had played out. He told the YEP: "I was shouting out the window for help and these three ladies just came out of nowhere.

"To me, they were like angels sent by God. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't stop hugging them."

The young girl, who is the couple's second child, has yet to be named. Chris said he's planning on a hanging a photo of the women in the family's home.