Paula Radcliffe joins working mum row

Marathon runner Paula Radcliffe was back in training a week after giving birth to her second child, a boy called Raphael.

Radcliffe's remarkable admission comes after Denise Van Outen's online row with former EastEnder Natalie Cassidy over jibes about returning to work early as a new mother.

The runner and her baby are back home after a labour where Raphael had to be resuscitated after the umbilical cord became wrapped around his neck.

She said: "I probably had a week completely off. I started doing a bit of cross training, walking and pelvic floor exercises, things like that. I'm hoping to do some running by Christmas and be back to doing normal training in January."

Cassidy, who gave birth a month ago, was critical of actress and presenter Van Outen's decision to start working within weeks of having daughter Betsy.

Cassidy recently said: "Denise van Outen went back to work after two weeks because she said she needed to feel normal again. I just think 'What have you had a child for? Having a child should be your job'."

Outraged Van Outen started posting messages on social networking site Twitter after she saw her critic on ITV's Lorraine show on Thursday.