The family of a four-month-old baby boy has praised the quick actions of the emergency services which they say saved their seriously ill son's life.

Little Jay-John Forder was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital by the East Anglian Air Ambulance after the helicopter made a dramatic landing in Diss Park, next to the mere.

His parents John, 28, and Karen Forder, 26, from Bunwell, had rushed the tot to an out-of-hours GP service in the town when he suddenly turned 'white' and appeared lifeless overnight.

The youngster had been battling against symptoms of a bad cold, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.

The doctor gave him oxygen and called for an ambulance immediately as Jay-John began to lose consciousness and went into a seizure.

After his dash to Norwich on Sunday, the little boy was transferred that evening to the intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, where he was placed on life support.

Jay-John is now able to breathe for himself, but has had to undergo a lumbar puncture to reduce swelling to his brain and tests are under way to see whether he is suffering from a strain of meningitis. Doctors are still determining whether the youngster will be left with permanent brain damage.

His grandfather Tony Forder, 53, from Winfarthing, said his family was grateful to all those who had helped at the weekend.

'The police, air ambulance, the doctor in Diss – we would like to give them a big thank-you. If they had not acted as they did he (Jay-John) would not be here now,' he said.

The landscape gardener added that it was difficult to have to watch his grandson be airlifted to hospital.

He said: 'It's still a shock and a massive worry. It's bad enough losing a grown-up but a kid – it would be heartbreaking.'

Jay-John's parents, who also have three daughters aged six, three and two, said it was a shock to see their normally happy and smiling son become so desperately ill.

John Forder, who works at Banham Poultry in Attleborough, said: 'He was white. He was lifeless, all floppy and wouldn't respond to anything. His eyes were rolling in the back of his head.'

He added: 'At the moment I do not know how I feel. It sank in a bit yesterday but it hasn't sunk in properly. It's hit my wife real hard.'

Captain Adie Love, from the East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: 'It was a potentially difficult landing because the park was crowded, but I'd like to thank park goers for responding so well and so quickly by moving away from the landing area as soon as they realised that we were trying to land. Their swift action helped us reach the baby quickly. Our thoughts are now with him and his family.'