Bunton began dating Jones eight years ago

The baby was born at London's private Portland Hospital at 1112 BST, weighing 7lb 15oz.

The child is the first for Bunton, 31, and partner Jade Jones, who said they were both "absolutely delighted and can't wait to take Beau home".

"He is absolutely brilliant and both baby and Emma are doing fine. In fact Emma is tucking into some flapjacks and Coca Cola as we speak," he added.

'Lucky boy'

"Emma is upstairs doing really well, just recovering and bonding with the baby. Both are having a little nap right now," he told reporters outside the hospital.

"I'm just pleased to have our little baby boy with us. I'm over the moon. He looks a bit like both of us actually, so he's a very lucky boy."

Jones smiles for the cameras as he leaves the hospital

Bunton and Jones, a former member of defunct boy band Damage, have been together for eight years.

She will join her fellow bandmates on the Spice Girls world reunion tour, which kicks off in the US in December.

The full line-up has not performed on stage since Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell left the band in May 1998.

At the height of their fame, the Spice Girls sold 55 million albums and had nine UK number one singles.

Media hype

The tour will cover six continents, but includes just one date in the UK, in London on 15 December.

The band members have not been far from the headlines in recent months.

Film star Eddie Murphy recently acknowledged he was the father of Mel B's four-month-old daughter after she took legal action to confirm paternity.

And the singer revealed earlier this week that she had secretly married film producer boyfriend Stephen Belafonte in June in Las Vegas.

Posh Spice Victoria Beckham made a much publicised move to Los Angeles last month, where her husband David now plays football for LA Galaxy.