The Flash Gordon star was running in Richmond Park when he spotted a woman giving birth on her own, so he kept her company and helped ease the baby out, and then dealt with the umbilical cord and cleaned up the newborn.

"Years ago when I was in (TV series) Z Cars, about 1963, I was running all over Richmond Park and a woman was having a baby under a tree and there was nobody around," he told BBC Radio 4's Midweek programme on Wednesday (07Oct15).

"I had been brought up with babies, kind of working class background and helping with babies and I rushed across to her, she'd got her legs open.

"She knew me in Z Cars, (she said) 'Please, I'm having a baby, I'm having a baby', (I said) 'It's alright dear, breathe deeply'... and gradually I got the baby out slowly... Yes, I delivered a baby in Richmond Park.

"The afterbirth came out, and the clots, I pressed her belly and got rid of the clots... Then I bit it loose and tied it into a knot... and then I just called for help and eventually an ambulance came... I was covered in blood, my shirt was covered in blood, I was wrapping and wiping her, 'It's all right darling,' and I was licking the baby's face."

After host Libby Purves admits her disblief, Brian adds, "It's absolutely true. I've just never talked about it. But what I'm saying is it was natural wasn't it? You would tell her to breathe deeply and push, push, push, because I'd seen my mother do all this. I was always kept in the background, because all the neighbours were kind of almost like midwives."

Brian revealed it was a baby girl.