ONE of the smallest babies ever born alive in the UK has tripled her weight, come off all life-support and transferred to her local hospital -in under nine weeks.

Emily Cressey was born in Edinburgh at just 24 weeks weighing just 1lb 3oz.

The baby now weighs 3lb 5oz and doing well enough to transfer on Monday from a high dependency unit in Edinburgh to Borders General in Melrose.

Her parents Claire and Alan Cressey have been making the 100-mile round trip from their home in Coldstream, the Borders, to the capital since she was born on February 27.

Mrs Cressey, 34, said that she had cried "happy tears" after getting the news of her daughter's return "home".

Claire wrote as she prepared for the big move: "Emily is coming back to the Borders, wow, happy tears.

"We are on a four hour standby for transport, so we are in a major rush to get to our beautiful daughter in Edinburgh so we can make the journey together.

"Our daughter's coming back."