AN 11-month-old baby boy died last night despite his parents' desperate attempts to get him medical help.

The frantic couple dialled 999 after the youngster stopped breathing at the family home in Thornhill, Southampton.

But instead of waiting for an ambulance, they ran with the child to their nearest ambulance station and banged on the door, screaming for help.

Tragically, there were no paramedic crews at the base - only a Patient Transport Services team of two, who ferry passengers to and from hospital.

The pair, who only have basic first aid training, made attempts to resuscitate the youngster while the ambulance crew, which had arrived at the family home within three minutes, made its way back to the Hightown station.

The child was rushed to South-ampton General Hospital where he was pronounced dead last night. Police are investigating the death, which they say is not suspicious.

A spokeswoman confirmed: "In the case of any sudden death there is always a police investigation into the circumstances. We are conducting inquiries on behalf of the coroner. We are not treating it as suspicious."

An ambulance spokesman said: "We received a call for assistance to a baby that had stopped breathing. The ambulance crew got there within three minutes. However the parents had taken the baby to the ambulance station in a desperate bid to get help because they lived just around the corner. They banged so hard on the door that the door frame was broken.

"There were no crews in the station as they were all out on the road. However, there was a Patient Transport Services crew, who are only trained in basic first aid.

"It was very upsetting. They had never been faced with a baby that wasn't breathing before. They did make attempts to resuscitate him until the crew that had gone to the house arrived back at the station. The baby was then taken to hospital."