A REDDITCH woman has joined the ranks of midwives honoured with a professorship.

Shirley Jones, of Church Hill, became a midwife 27 years ago and delivered countless babies before turning to teaching.

The mother-of-two began as a community midwife in the 1970s before moving to Bromsgrove Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital.

Prof Jones, 50, said: "I trained as a tutor and moved to work in Birmingham but I maintained my links with the Alexandra Hospital.

"I was chairman of the Royal College of Midwifery for Redditch and Bromsgrove and have been president for a few years."

Prof Jones, who has also gained a masters degree in ethics and law, trains nurses at the University of Central England in Birmingham.

And her talents have seen her put pen to paper to write two books on the ethics of midwifery.

She has also written chapters and articles for books and reviewed articles for publishing.

Prof Jones, head of women's health studies at the university, said she was delighted she had been awarded the title of professor.

She added: "It feels very strange to be a professor.

"But I think it's really good for the profession to have someone from this area.

"There are only a handful of midwives in the country who have been honoured in this way."