GAZETTE & HERALD: A BROTHER and sister have welcomed their new babies into the world within hours of each other.

Despite being due nine days apart, tiny cousins Nicholas LeMasonry and Tamzin Louise Fisher surprised their parents by arriving on the same day.

When proud first time dad Matthew LeMasonry, of Backcut Road, Corsham, called his sister Sandra Fisher to give her the good news about Nicholas he was told her waters had just broken.

Amanda LeMasonry, 27, said a few hours later she was having breakfast with her sister-in-law at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

"I never dreamed it would happen on the same day," she said. "It was such a surprise.

"We'd been saying all along that it would be good if we were in hospital together, but we really didn't think we would be."

Nicholas, who weighed 7lb 1oz, was born at 2.20am on February 7 and his cousin Tamzin, who was 7lb 9oz, was born at 2.16pm.

Mrs LeMasonry gave her sister-in-law tips about going through labour before being transferred to Chippenham Hospital to recover.

Mrs Fisher, 29, who lives with her husband Lee and nine-year-old son Jordan in Marshfield, said it would be lovely for the cousins to grow up together.

"Neither of us knew we were planning to get pregnant, so it was a bit of a shock," she said. "I kept saying to Amanda that she'd better not have hers first.

"My son Jordan really wanted a little brother so when we found out she was a girl he was a bit disappointed. But now he's got a male cousin it does not matter.

"We're a close family so they will share birthday parties and other things."

Mrs LeMasonry said she was in the ward with her new son the couple's first child when one of the nurses told her her sister-in-law wanted to come and see her.

"First baby's are normally late, so I thought Sandra would be before me, but as it was she was eight days late. It wasn't until she was actually in the hospital that I thought they would be on the same day."

After chatting for a while they discovered the same midwife had delivered Mrs LeMasonry's baby and checked Mrs Fisher into the delivery suite.

Grandfather John LeMasonry, 52, said he received the news that his daughter-in-law had given birth just moments before hearing his daughter had gone into labour.

Mr LeMasonry, a yacht skipper from Marshfield, said it was obvious the babies would be born around the same time but it was a big shock when the came on the same day.

Mrs LeMasonry said her new son was "gorgeous" and Mrs Fisher described Tamzin as "good as gold".