THE parents of a baby delivered stillborn only hours after his mother was jailed are battling to be allowed to attend their son's funeral.

Katrina Robinson, 20, is still waiting to hear if she can bury her baby after she gave birth seven weeks prematurely last weekend.

Her mother, Sue Robinson, says the baby's father, Terrence Rowley, 26, has been told he will not be released from prison to attend the funeral. The couple were jailed last Friday after admitting affray following an attack on a 16-year-old girl.

But only hours after she was handed a 15-month sentence at Teesside Crown Court, the heavily pregnant mother-to-be experienced severe pain and was taken to the University Hospital of Hartlepool. The baby was stillborn at 4am the next day.

The funeral of the baby, named Terrence James Rowley Robinson, is to take place on Tuesday, in Hartlepool.

Ms Robinson, 41, who lived with her daughter in Thornton Street, Hartlepool, said: "Katrina's already been through hell and this just makes it worse. She needs to be allowed out of prison so she can grieve properly.

"I've spoke to Terry on the phone and he's been told he won't be let out. At the end of the day, the mother and father should be there."

The Home Office has refused to confirm whether or not either of the couple will be allowed to the funeral, insisting it does not comment on individual cases.

However, a Home Office spokeswoman said: "Requests to attend funerals are viewed with compassion and where possible granted, particularly where the person is the next of kin."

Rowley was locked up for seven months last month for crimes including assaulting a police officer and stealing T-shirts from Hartlepool United football stadium.

At the time, the court heard that Rowley wanted to go to prison to beat an addiction to heroin in time for the birth of his unborn child.

His mother, Sue Rowley, who lived with her son in Chaloner Road, said: "He's not even been able to see his son's body yet. It's absolutely terrible."