Officer who delivers baby, now delivers her to prom

An officer who acted as a makeshift midwife to deliver a baby in Ixworth 17 years ago when he was a community officer was able to make a second delivery recently and escort her to her school prom.

Jonathan Burke, now in his 19^th year with the force, escorted Genieve Fitt, along with her father David to King Edwards IV Upper prom held at Blackthorpe Barn on the Rougham Estate. 

Now a police constable with Suffolk PC Burke joined Suffolk Constabulary in 2006 and became a police officer in 2012 moving to the Roads and Armed Policing Team in 2021.

The idea for the escort came from Mr Fitt who has stayed in touch with Jonathan since the delivery of Genieve outside a tea room in the village's High Street in 2008.

Mr Fitt rushed his wife to West Suffolk hospital when she went into labour. However, realising they would not make the maternity unit in time, they made a forced stop in Ixworth where they ran into then PCSO Burke and he was on hand to help give birth in the family’s Skoda Octavia.

PC Burke said: “It was a great honour to be asked to escort Genieve to her school prom. The Fitt’s are very supportive of the work of the police and it is lovely to still to be in touch with the family after all these years. To have seen how she has grown from a baby after our spontaneous first meeting all those years ago into a young adult is quite a touching experience.

“I did warn the family that if I had a response call during the escort that would have to take priority but fortunately during the short time of the escort there was no such call which was a relief for all concerned!”

David said: "We made a conscious effort to stay in touch with Jonathan as he was such a help on that day all those years ago. It's been lovely to see him grow into a "fully fledged" officer and Evie will always have a lovely story to tell.  We just hope he doesn't retire before she gets married!!"