FIVE families received the best possible present this Christmas courtesy of Princess Margaret Hospital's maternity unit.

Christmas Day 2001 was a bumper one for Swindon babies, with the first arriving just a minute after midnight on December 25, and four more following throughout the day.

Joanna Bridgeman, from Woodthorne Park, gave birth to a seven-pound daughter, Jessica, just a minute after Christmas Day began.

Just over seven hours later, Donna Seymour gave birth to 7lb 10oz Madison, the hospital's second Christmas baby.

Then came 'Miss Panes', the as-yet-unnamed daughter of Old Town couple Sharon Aldridge and Martin Panes, a six-and-a-half pound boy for Wroughton's Catherine Cotter and Ranvir Puri, and Cameron Cuss is the new son for Stephen and Natalie Cuss from George Street.

Mr Panes, 38, said his daughter's arrival a day late had upset plans for a family Christmas dinner, but he wasn't complaining. "It was quite a good Christmas present," joked Mr Paines, whose 23-month-old son Archie also looked delighted to see his new baby sister.

Ms Aldridge, 38, also had Archie at PMH, and was full of praise for the Christmas birth experience at the hospital.

"The labour part of it wasn't very pleasant, but being in hospital was all right," she said.

"We were well impressed by the food we got roast turkey down in the delivery room and could have mince pies whenever we wanted them."

All the Christmas Day parents at PMH received a gift of baby toys, clothes and cosmetics from the hospital, but first-time dad Daryl Castleman, 33, was most taken by the arrival of his daughter Madison.

"It makes Christmas very special we couldn't have wished for a better one," said Mr Castleman, from Ramleaze.

Perhaps inevitably, given the year experienced by her employer, Railtrack administrator Natalie Cuss, 30, gave birth to her 7lb 8oz son Cameron 11 days late. She and her husband Stephen, 35, were looking forward to taking him to see friends in Scotland, where they were married.