Fireworks were still being set off to mark the arrival of the New Year as baby Alastair arrived was welcomed into the world at Ipswich Hospital.

Alastair Charles Sharpe was born at 1.32am on January 1, weighing in at 8lb 13oz - eight days after his due date of December 23.

He is the first child for parents Marcus and Vickie, from Bramford - and the first baby born at the hospital this year.

The new parents said they are ready to start 2022 with an exciting challenge.

Mr Sharpe said: "We had fireworks all the way through labour, from our window at the hospital we could see them going off all across Ipswich.

"It started about 7am in the morning, and we went to hospital a few hours later, but started properly pushing for baby at about 11.30pm - and he appeared at 1.30am.

"Vickie did really well - did it all on gas and air, though the fireworks might have been a distraction from the pain."

Three other couples were on the maternity unit overnight, according to Marcus, who described it as "like a race between the three of us for the first 2022 baby".

He added: "I think all the midwives had bets on - was he going to be a 2021 baby or 2022?

"We were already eight days over. He was meant to be born on December 23, so we had a very quiet Christmas and didn't make plans for New Year.

"We walked lots, but haven't really seen anyone."

Family is likely to descend later in the week, because they all live "a bit of a drive away" in the Midlands, but until then Marcus and Vickie are adjusting to being in a household of three.

"We're really excited, really positive and looking forward to the challenge.

"And it's absolutely better to be a New Year baby than Christmas; I think he'll appreciate it when he's 18 and he's going out on NYE celebrating his birthday. It's a cool date of birth, too: 1.1.22."