IT was the perfect present to mark her 100th birthday.

As Hilda Pettyfer celebrated reaching the landmark occasion, the news came through that her first great-great- grandchild had been born on the same day.

Arriving two weeks early Levi Pettyfer came into the world exactly a century after Hilda, resulting in a fifth generation of the family.

Levi, who weighed 6lbs 7oz, was born at 6.30pm on Hilda’s big day at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

His mum and dad, Lee John Pettyfer, 22, and Amelia Bell, 22, from Bright Wire Crescent, Eastleigh, named their first child after his great great great grandfather Levi George who was a gamekeeper on the Avington Estate in Winchester more than 100 years ago.

The young couple said it was a big but pleasant surprise when Levi arrived prematurely on Hilda’s special day. Amelia said: “I went to Romsey Show in the morning and just thought I had really bad backache. Then my waters broke – so I got into hospital at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and Levi was born by 6.30 that evening. I spoke to Hilda on the phone that night – she was just so pleased that he’d arrived on her birthday.”

Hilda, who has lived in Eastleigh all her life and also has two children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, said she was overjoyed to hear the news that she’d become a great-great-grandmother saying: “He’s a lovely birthday present. And it was a big coincidence – she wasn’t due to have him for another two weeks.

I think he came early specially for my birthday.”