Hospitals in Lincolnshire are witnessing a baby boom – with the county's birth rate hitting almost twice the national average.

New NHS statistics show that 5,639 babies were born in Lincolnshire in 2007/8 compared to 5,294 in 2006/7.

This is a 6.5 per cent increase – almost twice that of the national rate of 3.3 per cent.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust – which runs maternity units in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham – has experienced the second highest birth rate increase out of eight hospital trusts in the East Midlands.

Only neighbouring Sherwood Forest Foundation Trust witnessed a larger increase.

NHS Lincolnshire's consultant in public health medicine, Dr Robert Wilson, said that while Lincolnshire's rapidly expanding elderly population is well-documented, its baby boom is less talked about.

"We have had a trend of the last few years where we have seen a higher than average birth rate," said Dr Wilson.

"Wherever lots of new house building takes place it attracts young couples in their 20s and 30s who go on to have families.

"We have seen a lot of house building in Lincolnshire and just looking at the new developments off Newark Road in Lincoln, for example, you can see how it has attracted families.

"We have seen an increasing number of births to women from Eastern Europe.

"They have certainly added to the numbers but the bigger factor is the increase in family housing."

Meanwhile ULHT recruited 14 extra midwives at the end of last year to cope with a rise in the number of deliveries.

Head of midwifery at the trust, Hazel Harrison, said they try to maintain a constant ratio between the teams of midwifery staff and the number of women expecting.

For the full story see Saturday's Lincolnshire Echo.