The hospital said it was a priority to keep mother and babies together

Lesley Mullins, 40, had to be flown from Surrey to Birmingham after going into premature labour at 29 weeks.

She was forced to make the trip after finding there was no place for her at Frimley Park Hospital near her home.

Doctors in Birmingham halted her premature labour although she is due to stay in hospital.

Maternity staff at Frimley Park made about 40 phone calls to try to secure a place for Mrs Mullins, from Camberley, Surrey.

Unfortunately, after 30 or 40 attempts, somewhere in the south of England still had not been found Spokesman for Frimley Park Hospital

But no maternity beds were found in Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, London, Buckinghamshire and Oxford so Mrs Mullins had to be taken by police helicopter to Birmingham's Women's Hospital.

A spokesman for Frimley Park Hospital said: "It is the trust's policy that expectant mothers of twins at less than 30 weeks will be routinely transferred so that we can provide mother and babies with best possible care.

'Peaks in demand'

"Unfortunately, after 30 or 40 attempts, somewhere in the south of England still had not been found.

"The thing is we do have the facilities.

"If it had been the day before or after we may well have had a place.

"But you cannot always account for such unusual peaks in demand."

The spokesman said Mrs Mullins would not have been transferred if the situation had been dangerous.

The Surrey Heath and Woking NHS Primary Health Care Trust and the hospital said it was their priority to keep the mother and babies together.

Frimley Park Hospital was where Sophie, Princess of Wessex, spent 11 days after giving birth to her daughter in November 2003.