Teenager Robert Dobie, who nearly died at Christmas two years ago after contracting virulent food poisoning, was at the NEC in Birmingham last night as a guest of his heroes McFly.

He met the group when they made promotional visits to Marlborough and promised him free seats.

Robert, 16, of Rabley Wood View, Marlborough, was a St John’s School student when he became ill at Christmas 2009 after eating a burger purchased at a Swindon market.

He developed complications which resulted in a transfer from the Great Western Hospital to Bristol Children’s Hospital where his parents Bob and Michelle were warned he might not pull through after he “died” twice.

McFly have visited Marlborough twice in the last four months to plug their new releases at Roger Mortimer’s Sound Knowledge music shop.

During the first visit by bassist Dougie Poynter and drummer Harry Judd they met Robert and, after hearing his story, they promised him tickets for the Birmingham show.

But the family feared this had been overlooked until Harry Judd returned on March 7, together with Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher, and told a delighted Robert there would be tickets for him and his family for last night’s sell-out concert at the NEC’s LG Arena.

His mother hired a limousine to give Robert star treatment together with herself, cousin Louise Hawkins and friends Nell James, Laura Mallett and Kelly Prothero. Mrs Dobie: “We are all really excited and Robert can’t wait to see the band and to meet them afterwards.

“We have all been invited backstage to meet the boys.”

Robert is studying sports and leisure at New College in Swindon, and his ambition is to become a firefighter.