PCs Laidler and Murphy help mother giving birth to baby boy in taxi

Two Ealing police officers have been praised after helping a pregnant woman giving birth in a taxi in Southall. The previous evening they both had been attending the scene of a homicide.

Shortly before 1:30am on Friday, 27 November, officers on patrol at The Broadway, junction with Ranelagh Road in Southall, were flagged down by a member of the public.

The man directed them to a taxi where his pregnant wife was giving birth in the foot-well.

The baby boy had been born as the officers arrived, with PC Laidler checking that the cord was free of the baby’s neck and that vital signs were strong, while PC Murphy liaised with London Ambulance Service and made sure the baby’s father was okay.

Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, West Area commander, said, “For a police officer, every call to action is different and the ability to adapt to each situation is essential.

“On the night before the birth of the baby boy, these two officers had been deployed to a homicide, the polar opposite of a birth.

“To have dealt with two incidents of such contrast in just 24 hours has clearly demonstrated their ability to react appropriately no matter what they encounter as they go about their duties. The officers are a credit to the organisation and to London.”

November 27, 2020