Maternity unit makes David Cameron broody

Tory leader David Cameron said a nine-hour-old baby he met during a tour of a maternity unit today made him "want another one" himself.

Mr Cameron met little Freddie and his mother Kathryn Blanchard during a visit to Calderdale Royal Hospital, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

He appeared overjoyed to see the tiny baby, who was born just before 3am today.

"It makes me want another one," he told Ms Blanchard, who looked pleased to see the Leader of the Opposition just hours after she gave birth.

Mr Cameron was visiting the hospital as part of a day of engagements in the Yorkshire area.

After leaving the newborns, he met staff, children and their parents in the children's ward.

He was presented with wrapped Christmas presents for his own children by staff as he met youngsters in the ward's play area.

Mr Cameron said: "It's really interesting to come to the midwife unit to see how they're encouraging mums to use the unit to have as natural a childbirth as possible.

"That's great if you can do it and try and get Caesarian rates down."

He said he met two "beautiful" newborn babies.

"They're obviously made of stern stuff in these parts," he said. "The mothers looked extremely well, very happy, totally chilled and relaxed."

Mr Cameron joked that the fathers looked less relaxed.