UK PM David Cameron's wife gives birth to baby girl

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, and his wife Samantha, pose for a photograph on the coastal path at Daymer Bay in Cornwall, August 22, 2010

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife Samantha has given birth to a baby girl, his office said.

"Both the baby -- who was born weighing 6lbs 1oz (2.7 kg) -- and Mrs Cameron are doing very well," a statement from the prime minister's Downing Street office said.

The last British prime minister to have a baby in office was former Labor leader Tony Blair, whose wife Cherie gave birth to their fourth child, Leo, in May 2000. Leo Blair was the first child born to a serving British prime minister for 150 years.

The Camerons' baby, who has not yet been named, was born at midday Tuesday, a few weeks earlier than expected, while the couple were on holiday in Cornwall, southwest England.

Center-right Conservative leader Cameron, 43, has led a coalition government since the election in May. Samantha Cameron, 39, announced shortly after the poll she would step down as creative director of luxury goods retailer Smythson.

The couple have two other children, Nancy and Arthur, born in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Their eldest son, Ivan, died in February last year aged six. He had suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)