A FORMER truant given the chance of a new life helped to bring another new life into the world by delivering a trapped lamb.

Stephanie Wheatstone, 16, from Charston, Greenmeadow, Cwmbran, became an unexpected heroine while she was volunteering at Greenmeadow Community Farm as part of Torfaen's Youth Access project.

Youth Access aims to provide disaffected youngsters like Stephanie with the opportunity to learn life and social skills in an atmosphere away from that of the classroom, working on community and environmental initiatives.

The youngsters, either excluded, on the brink of exclusion or school refusers, learn skills to go on to further training or work.

As Stephanie was doing her usual rounds, cleaning out pens and feeding the farm's animals, one of their ewes began having difficulties and becoming distressed while giving birth.

Stephanie said: "The lamb got stuck coming out, but all the farm staff's hands were too big to pull it out, so I had to use my hands to pull the front legs out.

"It was all gooey and I was scared that if I did something wrong I could harm the lamb or the sheep."

Luckily, both mother and baby were fine, and delighted farm staff named the lamb Stephen after his stand-in midwife.

Peter Davies, of Youth Access, said: "Stephanie has worked at the Community Farm since September and is here at the farm every day if she can be.

"This is a great achievement for her and I think she deserves all the praise she can get." Modest Stephanie, who said her favourite animal until her special delivery was a Welsh black calf called Chayenne, said: "I was pleased that the lamb was well and proud of what I did, but I know I definitely don't want to be a farmer now!"

* Pictured: Stephanie Wheatstone, who delivered this one-day-old lamb