Seventeen years after helping to deliver a baby on the side of a Suffolk road, a local police officer made a second unforgettable delivery — this time escorting that same baby, now a young woman, to her school prom.

Police Constable Jonathan Burke, now in his 19th year with Suffolk Constabulary, had a heartfelt reunion with Genieve Fitt, accompanying her and her father David Fitt to the King Edward VI School prom at Blackthorpe Barn on the Rougham Estate.

The extraordinary connection dates back to 2008, when Burke, then a Police Community Support Officer, came to the aid of the Fitt family outside a tea room in Ixworth High Street. Genieve’s mother had gone into labour en route to West Suffolk Hospital, but with time running out, they pulled over — and fate delivered them into the path of PCSO Burke.

With no time to spare, Burke helped deliver Genieve in the back seat of the family’s Skoda Octavia.

“It was a great honour to be asked to escort Genieve to her prom,” said PC Burke, now serving in the Roads and Armed Policing Team. “To see her grown up and be part of such a special milestone in her life is a touching reminder of the human side of policing. I’ve known the Fitts for years now and it’s a privilege to still be connected.”

He added with a smile, “I did warn them that if I got a response call during the escort, duty would have to come first — but thankfully, the evening went smoothly.”

Genieve’s father, David, said keeping in touch with Burke was important to their family.

“We made a conscious effort to stay in touch with Jonathan,” he said. “He was such a huge help on that day all those years ago. Watching him grow into a fully-fledged officer has been brilliant — and Evie will always have the most unique birth and prom story. Now we just hope he doesn’t retire before her wedding!”