A mother has described approaching her baby's cot and seeing Lucy Letby standing over it with a 'blank' expression on her face and then walking away before 'all hell broke loose' when the newborn's lung collapsed.

Mike and Victoria Whitfield's daughter Felicity suffered a catastrophic lung collapse three days after being born prematurely at Countess of Chester Hospital - where the nurse carried out her killing spree - in November 2013.

The couple believe Felicity was one of Letby's first victims. She came so close to death that a chaplain was called to conduct an emergency baptism. She was taken to a nearby hospital and revived, and is now a happy and energetic nine-year-old.

Mrs Whitfield was not aware at the time that the blonde woman standing over her daughter's cot was Letby until she saw her image on the news. The nurse has since been convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more.

Describing the horrific realisation during Letby's trial, she told Good Morning Britain: 'When we saw her picture come on the screen I felt sick to the stomach and called Mike and said, ''She was the one who was over the cot that night''.'

Mike Whitfield and his wife Victoria are seeking justice for their daughter Felicity (pictured together in 2018) and other potential Letby victims

Felicity on life support. She survived after doctors at a second hospital revived her in a procedure that had been tried twice without success at Chester

Mrs Whitfield told Good Morning Britain she was not aware at the time that the blonde woman standing over her daughter's cot was Letby until she saw her image on the news

Describing the night itself, Mrs Whitfield recalled the moment that she left her hospital room to go to the neo-natal unit at 3am on November 20, 2013.

She said: 'I had a mother's instinct to go and see her. She was doing fine in the days before and breathing well for herself.

'She was doing so well that a nurse - who I believe was Lucy Letby - told Mike to go home because he was looking so tired.

'I went to the ward and as I was walking towards the cot saw Lucy standing over it. She looked up at me then walked away.

'Then I walked towards the cot and within what seemed like seconds - although it could have been longer - all the beepers started going off and all hell broke loose.'

She continued: 'I've got this constant and permanent image in my head of when she was standing over the cot. There was no smile when she looked up - her face was just blank, then she walked off.

'Then for everything to go crazy is something I can't get out of my head.

'When I saw her image on the TV it was that exact same stare. It made me sick to think it could have been her that did something.'

Mr Whitfield said they were 'preparing for the worst' when Felicity was transferred later that morning to Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead.

Letby, pictured in custody, went on a killing spree while working at Countess of Chester Hospital

Mrs Whitfield was not aware at the time that the blonde woman standing over her daughter's cot was Letby until she saw her image on the news

Pictured at four, Felicity is now an energetic nine-year-old. But she came so close to death that a chaplain was called to conduct an emergency baptism

Victoria and Michael Whitfield with their children Felicity, Izabel, Verity and Bailey in 2018

But at the new hospital they were reassured by a doctor that their daughter would be fine and not to worry.

'It was that reassurance that led us to realise something wasn't right at the Countess,' he said.

The couple said they did not come into contact with Letby again.

But following Felicity's recovery, the couple demanded a meeting with Countess of Chester bosses.

'We were told it was just one of those things that sometimes happens in premature babies,' Mrs Whitfield said.

Medical notes confirmed that Letby had taken care of Felicity before she was transferred to Arrowe Park.

After Letby was arrested, the parents started to think more about their daughter's brush with death and now want her case to be re-examined.

Cheshire Police limited their investigation to the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses at the hospital's neo-natal unit between March 2015 and July 2016 - two years after Felicity almost died.

Police are now reviewing the care of 4,000 babies Letby may have come into contact with during a spell at Countess of Chester Hospital from January 2012 to the end of June 2016 and two work placements at Liverpool Women's Hospital in 2012 and 2015.

Countess of Chester Hospital's neo-natal unit, where Letby went on a killing spree

Cheshire Police has said that there was 'nothing untoward established' in Felicity's case but the position could be assessed with new information.

Letby is Britain's most prolific child serial killer in modern times and was sentenced to an unprecedented 14 whole-life orders on Monday.

Bosses at Countess of Chester Hospital have been heavily criticised for failing to stop her killing spree.

At least two babies died and more were harmed because executives refused to listen or to believe a member of staff was to blame.

Yesterday, senior consultant Dr Stephen Brearey - who tried to blow the whistle on Letby - called for regulation of NHS executives to make them accountable for their decisions.

And last night parents whose newborn son was killed and his twin poisoned by Letby accused the hospital of 'a total fob-off' when they pleaded for answers.

Solicitor Richard Scorer, of the law firm Slater and Gordon which represents the parents of Child E and Child F, told The Guardian the couple felt they had not received a proper response to their concerns.