A NEWBORN baby boy was flown to a Leicester hospital by helicopter during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The baby's mother remained at Warrington Hospital as her son was taken by ambulance to Victoria Park where a RAF Sea King search and rescue helicopter was waiting. The child and a specialist medical team were flown to Leicester's Groby Road hospital where the baby received specialist medical care. The fire brigade and police stood by as a precautionary measure as the helicopter landed and took off.

A spokesman for Leicester Hospital said: "The baby, who is less than 24 hours old, was put on Extra Carporial Membrane Oxygenation treatment.

"This is used when patients have got acute lung problems. Oxygen is brought through a bypass machine until the lungs recover.

"His condition is described as poorly but stable."

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