Eleven babies were welcomed to the world on Christmas Day at Epsom and St Helier hospitals.

Midwives, doctors and other maternity staff who delivered the babies offered congratulations to the families.

Sally Sivas, head of midwifery at the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have played a helping hand in the delivery of these 11 very special Christmas gifts.

“We know that having a baby – whatever time of year they arrive – is always a very special occasion for parents and their loved ones, and it’s always an honour to be involved in their care and delivery.

“But, for the 11 families who welcomed a new addition on 25 December 2012, Christmas Day will always be extra special.

“We would like to say a huge congratulations to them all.”

The maternity departments delivered 4,539 babies between January and October with 2012 set to be the busiest year ever.

Ms Sivas said: “We are incredibly pleased to see that more and more people are choosing to give birth at our hospitals, and believe that these increasing numbers reflect the hard work, dedication and compassion of our staff.

“We help parents-to-be from across the local area, including our neighbouring towns such as Croydon and Leatherhead.

But it’s not just local people who are choosing to give birth with us – our data shows that new families are booking to give birth at our hospitals from all over the country, from Bradford to Southampton.”

For more information on the maternity departments visit www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/maternity.