A grieving Corringham mother is battling for an improved emergency service after an ambulance took 13 minutes to reach her dying son.

Tracy Alton says she will never know if seven-year-old Michael's life could have been saved had the ambulance got there quicker.

Michael suffered an epileptic fit in the early hours of June 5 last year, soon after being sent home from Basildon Hospital where he had been taken with a high temperature and prolonged stomach pains.

Mrs Alton, 34, of Lyndhurst Road, rang for an ambulance twice and the second time was given instructions for mouth to mouth resuscitation and heart massage.

She rode in the ambulance with her son but soon after they arrived at the hospital she was told he was dead.

She was appalled to learn that the Corringham ambulance station is only open from 8am to midnight.

She said: "The ambulance from Basildon Hospital was also busy and we had to wait for one to come from Blackshots in Grays. At that time in the morning you would think that ambulances would not be in short supply."

Mrs Alton has collected a 20-page petition calling for better cover in the Corringham area and written to South Essex Health Authority chairman Katherine Kirk, chief executive Graham Butland and Basildon and East Thurrock MP Angela Smith .

Mr Butland's reply cut no ice with Mrs Alton. He said ambulances are deployed at key points across the county "so that they are best placed to respond to the patterns of calls that the service knows from experience are likely to be received at different times of the day and night"

Grieving mum - Tracy Alton holds up the 20-page petition she has collected after the death of her son Michael, pictured behind

Picture: DAVE HENDERSON

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