THOUSANDS of knitted bobble hats for newborn babies have been sent in to the Royal United Hospital's Bath Birthing Centre.

Over the last two months, the knitted bobble hats of green, amber and red, have been sent in from America, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Ireland as part of the hospital's appeal.

However with 5,000 babies being born at the hospital every year, there's a never-ending demand for knitting aid.

"We have been overwhelmed by the number of people from around the world who’ve taken the time to get knitting. The response has been incredible – every spare space we had is now filled with bags of hats. We can’t reply to everyone personally, but a big thank you to everyone who’s sent us hats," said Rachel Coleman, Practice Development Sister.

"Babies will still receive traditional midwifery care, but this is an extra visual aid. A green bobble means your baby is term, warm and feeding well. Amber indicates a baby needs a little more help with feeding and keeping warm. Red indicates a baby will have regular observations by a nurse or midwife.

"The hats will make a real difference in further improving the quality of care we provide and we are extremely grateful for every hat donated."