Four-day-old Katie Elizabeth Bird was having her usual feed with her mum Lesley last Wednesday morning at home in Henley Gardens in Howdon. But during the feed, Lesley noticed she had stopped breathing and she started to turn blue.

In a panic, Katie's mum and dad got in their car to take her to North Tyneside General Hospital, but after turning out of their street spotted a policeman who had just been at the scene of an accident.

The couple flagged him down and PC John Lemberger took them all to hospital in his police patrol car, with the blue flashing lights on and sirens.

The officer, who has been in the force for 15 years, said: "I had just finished dealing with an accident when a car pulled up behind me and a man ran out shouting and screaming that his baby had stopped breathing and gone blue.

"The baby, which was in the back of the car with her mother, was tiny, only about the size of my hand.

"The family jumped in the police car with me and I put the sirens on and drove as fast as I could without being unsafe. I rang the control room so they could let the hospital staff know we were on our way.

"We got there in about three or four minutes and the doctors and nurses were there ready.

"By the time I had parked the car, they had managed to get the baby breathing again.

"I was just glad I was in the right place at the right time and could help. Thankfully, Katie is back home and well again."

Katie's parents have labelled PC Lemberger, 41, their daughter's Guardian Angel, and can't thank him enough for being there to help them.

Dad Jonathan, aged 31, said: "We were just in bits and couldn't believe what was happening.

"He was in the right place at the right time – it is like he is her Guardian Angel.

"The doctors told us that she just shut down, and that it sometimes happens in new babies, but that she would have restarted again. It could happen again but I am going to sign up to a first aid course so I have an idea what to do next time. I didn't used to like it when she cried but now I love it. I love to hear that she is alive and kicking."

An NHS spokesperson said: "This can happen with premature or very young babies; however, it is not common."