A quick-thinking dad delivered his daughter at home on the bathroom floor - using earphones to tie off the newborn's umbilical cord.

Richard Cox, 31, helped his wife Hayley give birth to early arrival Emilie, crediting staff from the Scottish Ambulance Service with saving her life.

Hayley, 32, started to experience "intense" pains late at night, which lasted for about 45 minutes.

She called her husband into the bathroom, and within a few minutes the baby Emilie was born.

The call-handler talked Richard through how to tie the umbilical cord, as it is vital to ensuring the newborn's survival, preventing the mum and baby from developing a potentially deadly infection.

Richard, from Rosyth, Fife, looked around and saw no other option than to use his Apple earphones to tie the cord.

The bank worker says he was grateful for the help of the emergency services when Emilie arrived.

"It all happened so quickly - my wife went into labour late at night and before I had time to dial for an ambulance she'd been born," Richard said.

"After Emilie arrived, I rang 999 and the call-handler said I needed to find a bit of string - such as a shoelace - to tie up the umbilical cord.

"The only thing I could find was my iPhone earphones - I tied them to the cord and it was fine. The call taker deserves all the credit."

As well as dealing with the urgent matter of tying the umbilical cord, the baby, who had just been born with no medical staff around, unsurprisingly needed some attention.

"All while this happened, she was asking 'is the baby breathing; Is the baby okay?' - with all the noise in the background, she could have lost her cool as well," he continued.

"We had it in our mind that the child was not going to be breathing.

"All the actions of the Scottish Ambulance Service ensured that our little girl survived and I can never thank them enough."

Richard says everything he did was a "natural instinct", and once everything was fine with their newborn, he calmed his two-year-old son, who had started crying.

Soon after the birth an ambulance crew, manned by Scott Pimbert and Mark Crawford, arrived at the couple's address.

Richard said: "They walked in the house when everything was so calm.

"One of the guys said that out of all the homes where babies have been delivered they have never been to one where it was so calm.

"Everyone played their part, from the call taker to the paramedics.

"They asked if I wanted to cut the cord; they were all really welcoming, and very reassuring. You never think you will be in this situation."

Richard said he was so wrapped up with the situation that he cannot remember if she was born head first.

"At the hospital, I was saying I cannot believe this. I cannot remember if she was head first or what," he added.

"The main priority was making sure she was breathing, and making sure her face was wiped.

"I did not appreciate she was born until the ambulance arrived. It's amazing how your instinct takes over.

"If not for the call handler and paramedics, she would not be here now."

The couple said they have huge respect for the ambulance service.

Richard added: "The ambulance service has an overwhelming job and they are all heroes. If we were in another country, if we didn't have the NHS, she might not be here today."

Emilie was born almost two months early on January 8, weighing only 3lbs 14oz.

Six months on from the birth, the family says Emilie is doing really well and now weighs 16lbs 12oz.