PUB landlady Sylvia Shearan nearly gave birth in her husband's car when they were stuck in a traffic jam in London Road, Devizes.

Steve Shearan was so concerned he overtook the queue and went around a roundabout the wrong way and they arrived at Devizes Maternity Unit just in the nick of time. Mrs Shearan gave birth to baby David Southerden 45 minutes later.

The Shearans became involved in the gridlock caused by the Wessex Water roadworks at about 7.50am last Thursday.

They had driven from their pub, The Bell Inn in Broad Hinton, after Mrs Shearan, 40, started having contractions but then found there was a queue of cars stretching back past the Cannings Hill Garage roundabout.

Mr Shearan, 48, said: "Sylvia's contractions were two minutes apart. There was a hell of a lot of traffic queued up in front of us. If I had waited to get through the traffic lights it would have been too late. Sylvia would have had the baby in the car."

When he saw the traffic lights ahead of them turn red he overtook the traffic in front of him going the wrong way round a roundabout and got through before the oncoming traffic had been signalled through.

He said: "I was very lucky that I managed to get through before the traffic lights changed.

"I do apologise to other motorists who were probably wondering what I was doing but it was an emergency."

Mrs Shearan said: "As this was my first baby I didn't expect to progress so quickly.

"When we were by the police headquarters we were stuck behind a bus and I wanted to push.

"When we arrived at the maternity unit I could just about get through the door. The staff at the unit were great and I gave birth in the birthing pool."

Traffic congestion brought the town to a standstill last Thursday and Wessex Water then changed the four way temporary traffic lights to two way. The lights will be in place until August.

Wessex Water said it was unable to work during the night or on Sunday as this would disturb residents.

After the birth of their son, Mr and Mrs Shearan said they would support the campaign to save Devizes Maternity Unit from closure.

Mr Shearan said: "If I won the lottery the maternity unit would be the first place I would give money to. It's a fantastic facility and it's absolutely criminal that the health trust are thinking of closing it."