YOUNG mum Joanne Alcock has always credited staff at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire's maternity unit for saving her daughter's life.

Little Emily Alcock spent two weeks in the special care unit after a breach birth.

Now Emily is four years old and on Saturday Joanne was among dozens of people who bought a piece of rubble from the now-demolished maternity unit as a memento of the old building.

Joanne, who also has an 18-month-old daughter, Jessica, took home two pieces of rubble.

The 26-year-old, from Longton, said: "Emily was born breach and was in the special care unit for two weeks. The staff were fantastic – they saved her life.

"I read about the chance to buy a brick in The Sentinel and wanted my two pieces to keep as a memento.

"My husband Darren is going to make a plaque with the girls' names and dates of birth so I can mount it."

The old maternity unit has been demolished since the opening of a new £40 million centre in April.

But on Saturday people could go to the former entrance to the old maternity block, off Hilton Road, and collect a piece of rubble in return for a £1 donation to the hospital's charitable trust.

Kathleen McNally, project services administrator for developer Laing O'Rourke, said: "One of my colleagues Abbi Robinson came up with the idea of letting people have a piece of the old building.

"We have charged £1 per piece which will go to the hospital's charitable trust.

"We raised about £120, and meeting the people who came along and hearing their stories was great."

Angela Hammond, aged 40, gave birth to seven of her eight children at the unit. She brought two of them along, Kayleigh, aged 13, and Kirsty, aged 10, as well as nine-year-old Sophie, who was born at home.

Angela, from Trentham, said: "I've lots of memories of the old unit and it's a shame to see it go. Keeping a piece of the building is a nice memory of it."

Joe Jordan, from Alsagers Bank, picked up a piece of rubble for wife Gail.

The 42-year-old said: "My two kids Benjamin, who's nine, and Ellie, who's eight, were born here and my wife wanted to get one of the old bricks. We're going to build it into the garden wall as a memento."

Judith Poole, from Knutton, chose a piece of rubble for herself and one for her 30-year-old daughter Jodie.

The 52-year-old said: "I had two children here so I'm going to put my piece by the waterfall in my garden."

About 6,000 babies are born at the hospital every year.