Little Jack Prior wasted no time when he decided to arrive just an hour after his mother went into labour at his grandmother's Helston home.

What he didn't realise was that his eagerness to be born nearly cost him his life, as his breech position made for a rare and difficult birth, which was hampered even further by the fact that it had to be performed by paramedics in a bedroom hastily turned into a make-shift delivery room.

The quick-thinking paramedics and ambulance technicians have now been rewarded with the news this week that they are nominated for an award from the prestigious Ambulance Service Institute in London. If successful, they will be invited to the House of Commons in May to collect their award.

The drama unfolded on the night before New Year's Eve, just as Valerie Prior had finished watching the film Billy Elliott on television. With her husband Darren and 19-month old son Elliott, she was staying with Darren's parents, Rick and Kath, at their home in Church Lane, while the family waited for the sale of the new home in Penzance to go through.

Valerie, who is originally from France, explained: "Within five minutes of being in bed I got these contractions in my stomach. I'd had them before but I hadn't paid much attention because he was breech. Then I started getting the pains and I thought, That's it'."

Right from the start her contractions were every eight minutes and her first son, Elliott, was born in two hours, so she knew the labour would be quick.

Knowing that she would not make it to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro in time, Darren rang 999 and an ambulance was dispatched.

Before they had arrived, however, Valerie had already needed to start pushing and within minutes of paramedics Mark Belcher and Dave Halford and ambulance technician Geoff Francis arriving, the baby's bottom had started to appear.

The majority of breech babies are born by caesarean and it is almost unheard of for one to be born at home, so none of the ambulance staff had experience in delivering one. Geoff rang for a midwife while Dave contacted the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for advice, guiding Mark step by step through the delivery.

However, with Jack's arrival it soon became apparent that he was suffering from breathing difficulties and needed urgent attention. At this point the midwife arrived and Jack was whisked away in another ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Jack spent four days in the neonatal unit at the hospital and while it was touch and go at the first, he pulled through and is showing no side-effects from his traumatic birth.

Valerie said that the situation hit her when she found out about a woman in a similar position in the same ward, whose baby unfortunately did not survive.

"That really brings it home. That's when you realise all these people do a great job. I think they did a brilliant job. But I think they got there just at the right time. If they had got there five minutes later it could have been very different," she added.

Quick births run in the family - Valerie's mum was only four hours in labour with her and her sister was born in a hospital lift.

Jack is now six weeks old and has already become firm friends with big brother Elliott, who is happy to share his toys with the new arrival.

And grandmother Kath is already thinking ahead: "At least now he'll be able to dance the Flora Dance!"

The family are full of praise for the Mark, Dave and Geoff. Valerie said: "At the end of the day, Jack may not have been here if they weren't there. We can say thank you, but that really doesn't come anywhere near. They are really special these people."

Darren added: "You never get to say thank you to them. It's just to let them know how gratefully we really are."

Valerie concluded: "Thank you also to my husband, my mother-in-law and father-in-law."

The operational staff from South Western Ambulance Service were this week told that they had been nominated for an award, in recognition of their work.

Geoff Francis, from the Carbis Bay ambulance station, said that he was delighted and slightly embarrassed to be nominated, as he was only doing his job.

Geoff, who joined the ambulance service 26 years ago, said: "It was an automatic reaction. We were doing our jobs. There was nothing going through my head other than getting the baby to birth. It's gone from being a routine job to people singing our praises. I feel quite proud really. It's not often we get so much attention."

He added he would be "over the moon" if they actually won the award.

"It would be recognition for Cornwall as well. Cornwall is a little county. We don't get half the publicity we deserve I think. It would be nice," he concluded.