Bounty

Baby fever has spread through a college in Shropshire resulting in 13 pregnancies in 12 months.

The staff, of Harper Adams University College in Edgmond near Newport, fell pregnant within months of each other. Within the past year eight women have become mothers while five are still waiting to give birth.

Lecturer of engineering at the college, Sarah Pickthall is the next mum-to-be with her due date set for August 27. The 33-year-old said: "This is my first baby so it's quite exciting. Strangely enough this kind of thing happened in my last place of work too."

Meanwhile, Jaclyn Green, 31, corporate communications manager at the college, gave birth to her daughter Lana just five weeks ago.

"There must be something in the water," she said. "I think what has happened is brilliant. Hopefully we are bringing up the future students who will come to the college. It's really exciting for us."

Giving birth eight and a half months ago was Emily Chapman who is the college's business development manager. The 27-year-old is also due to marry in a few weeks' time.

"It might be strange what has happened but the college is very supportive of mothers going on maternity leave," she said.

Copyright Press Association 2010