THE mother of a little boy who sparked a public outpouring of grief when he choked to death on a grape has spoken for the first time to warn parents to cut up food for their toddlers.

Our sister newspaper The Northern Echo reports that Jacob Jenkins, two, was snacking on grapes in a branch of Pizza Hut when he put a whole one into his mouth and it became lodged in his windpipe.

Despite being trained first aiders neither his mum Abigail Wilson, 23, nor his dad David Jenkins, 31, could dislodge the blockage.

Eventually paramedics used surgical scissors to pull out the grape, having failed to do so with suction equipment.

The tragedy touched the hearts of people in Jacob's home town of Hartlepool so deeply that hundreds staged a seafront vigil for him on October 14 and released yellow balloons into the air as they prayed for his life.

But by that time Abigail and David had been told there was no hope of a recovery and chose the moment he was in so many people's thoughts to remove him from life support.

He died in their arms surrounded by his family as his favourite song "Let It Go," from the movie Frozen played in the background.

Glasgow Times:

Abigail, who is training for a social work qualification, said: "We want other parents to know the dangers and to try to help avoid anyone else having to go through what we have, it has been completely devastating.

"It is important that mums and dads cut up food for their little ones so it's small enough to swallow without getting stuck.

"When I look back it has struck me that that there were lots of times it could have happened, it could have happened on any day of his life.

"Like most mums I would potter about when he was eating and I want to warn people now that it's so important that you have your full attention on your child when they're eating.

"Of course what happened to Jacob is very unusual, but it can happen and if raising awareness can help save the life of even one child in Jacob's memory we'll be happy.

"Some people have criticised us on social media, but when he was choking David and I did everything we could. We are both trained first aiders but first aid wasn't enough in Jacob's case, the grape was lodged too far down.

"The ambulance crew couldn't dislodge it with sucking equipment and in the end surgical scissors were used to pull it out.

"But even though it wouldn't have helped Jacob we would also urge parents to learn first aid because in many cases it is enough and no one wants to be left feeling helpless if they face an awful situation like we did."

Abigail and David, an asbestos remover, are slowly trying to return to normality after the grief of losing their only child in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary where he fought for his life.

Hundreds turned out to line the streets for the youngster's funeral on October 28, in memory of the tot who touched a town.

Abigail said: "The people of Hartlepool have been incredible, it says everything about this town. To see strangers, people we don't know and have never even met, in tears for our son made us realise how many lives he has touched.

"The balloon release was also amazing and it was then that we decided to let Jacob go.

"David suggested that we choose that moment. If he had to go, then that was the moment when he was in the thoughts of so many people, it made the worst moment of our lives a tiny bit easier.

"I held him in my arms and David held me as he went. Our family was around us and we played his favourite song, Let It Go, as he slipped away.

"It was so horrible and so tragic but if it was going to happen that's the best way it possibly could have. We felt people were with us and thinking of us and Jacob and it helped, we'll always be grateful for everyone thoughts and prayers."

There is also a campaign to name a new plane in Jacob's memory.

Travel firm Thomson are running a competition to name their new 787 Dreamliner jet, and Fly High Jacob is now gaining huge support in the on-line vote.

Abigail said: "It would be a lovely, fitting tribute to him.

"A couple of weeks before he died there was a skip opposite our home and it had doors sticking out of it which looked like wings. He said: "Look Mummy, there's an aeroplane." It made me laugh and it's one of my happy memories of him."