THREE tiny babies who graced the pages of the Echo when they were born have celebrated their landmark 18th birthday.

Mum Lisa Brown, 45, spent nearly three months in a private room at Basildon Hospital before giving birth to triplets Jack, Thomas, and Hannah in 1997, due to concerns for her health.

Jack, who weighed 4lb 11oz, was forced to spend the first few weeks of his life in an incubator, but the trio, of Friern Gardens, Wickford, are now fighting fit.

Jack is taking a year out from education to play golf, while Thomas has an IT job in London, and Hannah is preparing to start university.

Dad Paul, who has just celebrated his 21st anniversary with Lisa, said: “It’s certainly hard work looking after triplets.

There’s no guide book, you just have to get on with it. We had a lot of help from my mother-inlaw.

Triplets had been born at Basildon Hospital about six months before ours came along and something went wrong, so they were extra cautious with Lisa meaning she spent more than 11 weeks there.

“Our anniversary, Lisa’s birthday and the triplet’s birthday are all in the same week ,so it’s a very expensive time of the year for me!”

The couple had to order a custom- made pram from Italy as there were none available in Britain at the time of the triplet’s birth. Feeding time was organised like a military operation, with enough bottles made up each evening to last for the next 24 hours.

Lisa’s mum Pat Prebble, who runs Rettendon Pre-school, moved in with the couple temporarily when the children were first born.

She said: “I helped out a lot when the triplets were born because it was quite a handful looking after three babies. They were so tiny at first, but they’re all doing so well and they’ve never had any health complications.

“We’ve saved all the newspaper cuttings from the time to show them.”

Jack and Thomas, who weighed 3lb 13oz, were both given Armani watches for their landmark birthday.

Lisa made horse riding fanatic Hannah, who was born weighing 4lb 4oz, a memory box featuring sentimental items from the past 18 years, including her christening gown.