KAREN Weaver knows all about early arrivals after her baby made an unexpected entrance to the world on Christmas Day.

And she and husband John have some words of support for new dad Gordon Brown his wife, Sarah, on the birth of their seven weeks' premature baby, Jennifer Jane.

Mrs Weaver, 23, of Harcourt Street, Ebbw Vale, spent eight hours at Nevill Hall Hospital, in Abergavenny, on Christmas Day, before giving birth to a baby girl weighing 5lb 6oz at 6pm.

Baby Shanelle, pictured with her mum, was not due to be born until January 7.

Mr Weaver said his wife had chosen their daughter's name. He said: "It's my fifth baby so it's Shanelle-number five."

Mr Weaver said his other children, Jonathan, 11, Daniel, ten, Cristy, nine, and the couple's first daughter, three-year-old Nikita, were amazed by the new addition to the family.

He said: "They want to make a fuss of her and hold her all the time."

Offering their congratulations to the Browns, as Mrs Weaver nursed their own newborn, Mr Weaver, 28, said: "It doesn't matter when they are born - what matters is how they are looked after."

The Browns face a four- week wait, at least, before their daughter is allowed home from Forth Park Maternity Hospital, in Kirkcaldy.

She was born by Caesarean section on Friday, and the Chancellor yesterday said mother and daughter were doing well.

He said: "Jennifer's doing a lot better today, but she will be in hospital until the middle of February."

The baby has developed jaundice and doctors are also monitoring to detect any problems with her sugar and fat levels, both of which would have been underdeveloped because of the early birth.