AN award-winning AA patrolman has carried out his most important pick-up to date, collecting his sister’s premature twin babies from hospital.

Donna Anthoney, aged 33, and her husband Rob, 42, had feared their twins would not make it home to Droitwich after they were born 15 weeks early on Thursday, March 28.

But after 90 days in hospital AA’s Recovery Patrol of the Year Rob Jones was able to pick the family up from Worcestershire Royal Hospital in a state-of-the-art truck.

Lucca was born first at 11.10pm, weighing just 1lb, 14oz, and Luna followed at 12.10am, tipping the scales at 1lb 6oz.

They were born at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, after Mrs Anthoney was rushed there when she went into premature labour three days earlier.

The tiny pair were given a 50/50 chance of survival but were transferred to Worcester six weeks later after putting on weight and building up enough strength.

Mr Anthoney, who trained his brother-in-law in his role as an AA instructor, said he was “filling up” at the prospect of having the babies at home and thanked the AA for allowing him eight weeks off to support his wife.

“If I look back when I first saw them – these two tiny, little things – I thought they are the greatest things in my life and they are not going to be here tomorrow,” he said. 

He says he owes their lives to the hard work and dedication of the staff at both hospitals.

“It’s purely down to the amazing care of the nurses and the know-how of the doctors," he said.

"It’s an amazing, amazing achievement.

“As long as I live we will never forget what they have done.”

Mr Anthoney is now relishing the chance to be a father after fearing the tiny pair would not make it.

“It’s going to be long, hard and very tiring with twins for the next couple of months but I am looking forward to it because I never thought it was going to happen,” he added.

Mr Jones, aged 27 of Malvern Link, said: “It’s just a relief to have them home as it has been quite worrying at times. There’s nothing safer than a great, big 12-tonne truck.”

The couple are now planning various events to raise funds for the Worcestershire Royal Hospital’s neo-natal intensive care Unit.