HOSPITAL statistics have revealed an increase in births.

The first six months of the year have seen an 11-per-cent rise in births at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, compared with the same period last year.

Last month saw 271 babies born - the highest number of births at the hospital this year.

This is compared with 266 births last July.

There were 2,900 births a the hospital last year, compared with 2,200 births in 2001 Head of midwifery Dawn Johnston says the increase has come as a pleasant surprise.

She said: "We are happy mothers are choosing to come to the hospital to have their babies.

"I think the increase is mainly down to the fact the hospital is fairly new.

"We have a purpose-built maternity suite and parents are deciding to travel further to come here."

Ms Johnston says other hospitals in the area do not offer the same state-of-the-art facilities Darent Valley has.

She said: "The hospital is clean and offers an excellent service for women in labour."

Eighteen-year-old Kirsty Riddle chose Darent Valley to have her first baby.

Her son, Kai, was born at 7.30am on August 9 and weighed 6lb 9oz.

Miss Riddle, of Junction Road, Dartford, says she decided to have her baby at the hospital because of the modern technology available.

She said: "I felt safe to see all the up-to-date technology and also I knew they tagged the baby."

The hospital has been putting electronic tags on babies' feet to prevent abductions since September 2000.

Miss Riddle said: "I am pleased there has been a baby boom.

"We need it to prevent all the schools in the area closing because of surplus places."