Big Mac replaces turkey dinner for mum and dad as Noah makes his entrance on Christmas Day

But parents Nicole McInnes and Ryan Murphy were still full of festive pride with their little cracker one of the first to be born in England on December 25.

Noah popped into the world at the Royal Preston Hospital at 12:34am, weighing in at six pounds 11 ounces. Midwives at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit checked online to see if he was the first in the UK on that special day, but could only find one at Dumfries in Scotland who had arrived earlier - at 12:16am.

"The staff told my mum he could be England's first, which would make him even more special than he already is," said teaching assistant Nicole, who was back home in Gisburn Road, Ribbleton within 15 hours of giving birth. "They hadn't heard of any earlier at that stage. But even if Noah wasn't the first he's still number one for us."

Unconfirmed reports since from around the country suggest he may not have been the first born on the big day. Media stories told of three even earlier – two in Leeds and one in Wythenshawe.

Noah's arrival after 12 hours of "hard" labour meant the family's Christmas Day celebrations had to be put on hold for 24 hours. Christmas dinner was a burger from McDonald's as the couple tried to come to terms with being first-time parents. Instead they celebrated Christmas on Boxing Day with a dozen other members of the family.

Nicole's proud mum Louise McInnes said: "It would have been nice had Noah been the first born on Christmas Day in England - that would have been something special. But the main thing is he and Nicole are both fine and doing well. We had to delay Christmas Day by 24 hours, but it was well worth it. He's a little star."

Nicole went into labour at lunchtime on Christmas Eve - Noah wasn't due until Boxing Day. "It was a hard labour," she said. "But we got there in the end. To be honest I think Noah was hanging on until it got to Christmas Day before he decided to arrive. He is a quiet baby, but a bit of a night owl.

"Ryan and I are delighted he's finally here. It meant we had to postpone our Christmas Day with the family, but it was worth it just to see his little face. We were allowed home about three o'clock in the afternoon, so we had to grab a burger from McDonald's for our Christmas dinner. But we made up for it on Boxing Day with a proper Christmas meal for 14 of us."

According to media reports the first Christmas Day baby in Scotland arrived 18 minutes before Noah. In England newspapers reported a boy clocking in at just 12:05am in Wythenshawe. And even he was beaten by two in Leeds at 12:02 and 12:03.

"To be honest it doesn't really matter who was the first," said "Nana" Louise. "They're all special to their families. We're just over the moon that Noah was born on Christmas Day. That's enough for us. God bless him."