A WOMAN who unexpectedly gave birth in an amusement arcade toilet left the baby girl alone there for almost two hours, a court has heard.

However, the infant’s head did not touch the water of the toilet bowl and when eventually found by chance by cleaning staff she was still alive and quickly recovered from her ordeal.

Nicola Glover, from Prescot, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentence today after admitting child cruelty.

However, the hearing was adjourned at the defence request because the late arrival of a psychiatric report meant a probation report was not ready.

Glover, 30, who has four other children, had a history of spontaneous birth and Liverpool Crown Court was told that is what happened on April 16 this year while she was at arcades in Southport with family.

Glover, who had denied to her suspicious mum Jacky that she was pregnant, went to a disabled toilet and when she returned some time later “she had blood on her hands and clothing.”

She claimed it because of her period though her mum did not believe her as she had had an obvious tummy swelling which had gone, said Anya Horwood, prosecuting.

The family went for a meal and left the resort by train about 9pm.

Meanwhile about 6.45 pm staff went to the toilets in Silcock’s amusement arcade in Nevill Street and saw blood on the floor tiles and toilet handle.

“The toilet seat was closed and when the two female members of staff lifted the lid they saw a new born girl still with the umbilical cord attached and the baby’s head facing down towards the toilet bowl.”

Assistant manager Warren Chadwick arrived and he used towels to wrap the baby and rub her back and cleaned her face with a dish towel.

“Within a short space of time she changed colour from blue to pink and let out a cry,” said Miss Horwood.

Emergency services arrived and the baby was taken to the local A & E unit before being transferred to a specialist neonatal unit at Ormskirk where staff named her April.

CCTV footage showing Glover was played on television and when her mother challenged her about it she denied it was her. However, Glover later contacted police.

She was admitted to hospital where she told a psychiatrist that she had “panicked when her waters broke quite suddenly and unexpectedly and her panic increased and intensified until the point she met her mum and it dissipated and she returned home".

When interviewed by police she described leaving the baby as “the worst decision of her life” and said she had been very frightened. She said she had panicked and was shocked and shaking.

Miss Horwood said that Glover added that she “regretted her actions and expressed the wish to turn the clock back and said she had made a terrible, terrible, terrible mistake.”

“She said she did not want any harm to come to the baby and had never wanted to terminate the pregnancy.”

The court heard that the baby’s father, who is in prison, spoke of his helplessness and said she needed help.

Glover, of Hughes Avenue, Prescot, had denied attempted murder and that charge has been dropped.

She was further remanded on bail to await sentence on November 18.