FORMER Marlborough mayor Nick Fogg will represent the family at a hospital inquiry into the death of his 22-month-old grandson.

Jacob Fogg died of meningitis in the arms of his parents Ed and Emma, and grandmother Edwina in the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Mrs Fogg, of Oxford Street in Marlborough, rushed to London after Ed had called to say Jacob was very ill in hospital with meningococcal meningitis, the most severe strain of the brain disease.

Doctors at the Whittington Hospital in north London failed to diagnose meningitis when Jacob's parents took him to the accident and emergency ward, telling them he had flu.

The couple took the toddler back to their Crouch End home but his condition deteriorated and seven hours later they returned to the hospital.

Consultant paediatrician Andrew Robins diagnosed meningococcal meningitis and Jacob was transferred to Great Ormond Street.

Jacob died at 4pm on October 16, less than 24 hours after his parents had first rushed him to the Whittington. The family released news of the tragedy this week after the hospital, following pressure from the Foggs, agreed to hold an internal inquiry at which Nick Fogg will represent the family.

Jacob's parents have made it clear that, while they want an investigation into why his condition was not spotted on their first visit to the hospital, they are not seeking compensation.

Jacob's death was the second tragedy for the family in less than 24 months.

Almost two years ago Nick and Edwina Fogg's daughter Eleanor died suddenly and they are bringing up her son, Mikey, ten, as their own.

Former St John's, Marlborough, student Ed, 29, who is a top fashion model and Emma, 27, who is a freelance caterer, have flown to her parents' home in Australia to help them recover from the loss of their son.

His grandfather, Nick, described him as a beautiful boy who was unusually bright.

Yesterday Nick Fogg told the Gazette: "The family is devastated by what has happened."

Before they flew out on Monday Emma said: "We hope that by telling the media of what happened to us, it will not happen to any other parents."

The couple said when Jacob first became ill and then developed fits of shivering they were concerned that he might have meningitis.

They said on arrival at the Whittington they were disgusted with the dirty conditions in the A&E department.

They had to wait in a room with blood on the floor and urine samples in a sink.

Three hours after they arrived they were seen by a paediatrician who Ed said was so tired he appeared to be blinking to stay awake and had red tiredness blotches under his eyes.

The doctor took blood tests and several hours later returned to say there was no evidence of meningitis.

By the next morning Jacob had the purple rash which is a symptom of meningitis and his parents rushed him to the Whittington where meningococcal meningitis was confirmed.

Ed said: "From all that we have discovered since, we are sure that if the symptoms that we had been pointing out had been recognised and Jacob had been treated for suspected meningitis much earlier, he would have had a more than 90 per cent chance of survival. If the hospital had reacted differently our precious, beautiful little boy would in all probability still be with us today."

In a statement the Whittington hospital said: "The symptoms of meningococcal disease are notoriously non-specific in the early stages of the illness. Tests were carried out on Jacob and did not indicate that he had a life threatening infection."

The hospital said the building was maintained in a good condition.