LUCKY coincidence or careful timing … football mad brothers Liam and Harry Wales look like two peas in a pod and have their birthday's on the same day – but they are not twins.

LUCKY coincidence or careful timing … football mad brothers Liam and Harry Wales look like two peas in a pod and have their birthday's on the same day – but they are not twins.

Born on February 7 exactly one year apart, the cheeky duo celebrated their double special day in style with a birthday bash at Portman Road football ground yesterday.

Harry, six, and Liam, seven, who are both pupils at St Matthew's Primary School, in Ipswich, also shared an identical wish list of birthday presents – but that was no surprise, according to dad, Richard.

"They both wanted new football boots and trendy clothes like most kids their age," said the 31-year-old of Brookfield Road, Ipswich.

Mum Rachel, added: "Liam was born two weeks late and Harry about two weeks early so the dates were totally different. I went into labour with Harry at 1am on February 7, 1996, so I spent the whole of Liam's first birthday in hospital – but what better present could he have got."

Russell Grant would probably pale at the thought, for despite their birthday's falling on exactly the same day the two boys have quite different characters.

Rachel described her eldest as very sensitive while his brother was bundle of energy and fun.

"They are both very special boys. In character they are totally different but they would never be apart, they do everything together.

"We try and do something special every year and give them a nice birthday party between them.

"They always talk about 'what can we do this year' and tell people that they have the same birthday but they are not twins – they think it's special too.

Mr Wales added: "Harry has taken over his brother in size, which Liam isn't very happy about.

"They have grown up almost as twins but now they have got to an age where they don't want to be identified so closely with each other."

Head of midwifery at Ipswich Hospital Chris Colbourne said: "I certainly can't remember people who have had babies on the same day a year apart.

"Some people may well plan their families and have children a year apart of two years apart but getting pregnant isn't always easy as your fertility alters after you have a baby.

"It's quite an achievement really."

Bookies William Hill said that before the birth of a first child they would offer odds of 364:1 on having two children on the same day in different years, but that after the birth of the first child the odds would drop to 25:1.

A spokesman said: "We get quite a lot of people putting bets on babies being born the same weight, same day of the week or same time. We've recently had a woman having three babies all born weighing 6lbs 4ozs."