AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into why it took almost an hour for an ambulance to reach a Hampshire mother giving birth to a premature baby that later died.

No local crews were available to come to the assistance of Helen Mazzoni-Dalton when she went into labour three months early at her Halterworth home near Romsey.

So when husband James, 27, rang 999, an ambulance had to travel from Ringwood 30 miles away. Government guidelines say an ambulance should arrive within eight minutes. But the one called to the home of Helen and James took an hour.

Tragically baby Lee, who was born weighing just one pound, 13 ounces, died two weeks later.

Now Hampshire Ambulance Service has announced it will investigate why it took so long to get help to the family.

Spokesman Alison Roughton said: "We are now conducting a full investigation. We need to look at the whole evening's events."

The couple said they did not blame the delayed arrival of the ambulance crew for the death of their son.

Helen started to go into labour in the early hours of October 17 and the baby was delivered by James and his mother Patricia, a retired midwife.

James said: "When I rang for an ambulance I was told all the local ambulances were busy and that we would have to wait for one to come from Ringwood.

"It was a godsend that my mum was here. When I rang 999 I thought the ambulance would arrive quite quickly but when it didn't, my mum and I had to cope.

"I don't blame the ambulance service. When they did arrive they were really on the ball and you couldn't have asked for a more professional attitude.

"Under the circumstances, it is understandable there will be a delay if they are busy - it's life and these things happen unfortunately," said James, an army sergeant based at Fleet.

Little Lee was first taken by ambulance to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and was later transferred to the Princess Anne baby unit in Southampton.

"He was given emergency surgery at Southampton and he didn't survive it.

"His brain, heart and lungs were strong but he had trouble with his bowels," James said.

In a touching tribute to their baby, who died on October 31, the couple, who have two young sons, Jordan, 2, and Zac, 10 months, said: "Our thoughts are with him and even though he was only a part of our lives for a short time, we know we shall miss him forever."

Jim Barnett, chairman of the joint shop stewards of Hampshire Ambulance, which represents the ambulance service staff in the county, said the case needed investigating and he questioned whether families living in rural locations were being unfairly penalised.

"It would appear that once again lack of resources has played its part and this could be part of a bigger rural question."

Expressing her condolences to the family, local MP Sandra Gidley told the Echo she had previously raised concerns about services in rural areas but Halterworth was not a rural area.

"There is simply no excuse for this. I shall be calling for a full independent investigation."

Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has had a tough year after failing to meet government targets of reaching 75 per cent of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. In December, it met just 68.46 per cent.

Last month, new chief executive Claire Severgnini pledged to make step-by-step improvements to response times over the next three years but warned there would be no quick fix.

The tragedy was revealed as it was reported today how steep rises in the number of 999 calls across the country were creating a shortage of ambulances and preventing genuine emergencies from being dealt with promptly.

It was claimed many of the calls were unnecessary - with frustrated patients unable to get GP appointments or afraid of lengthy casualty waits dialling 999 in the hope of being treated more quickly.