The family of Archie Battersbee have lost their latest legal bid to have him transferred from hospital to a hospice to die.

The 12-year-old's parents, from Southend, applied to the Court of Appeal on Friday, after losing a High Court bid to have him moved to a hospice before his life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn.

The Court of Appeal confirmed on Friday shortly after 6.30pm that permission to appeal had been refused.

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The judges considering the application concluded: "In all respects, Theis J's judgment deals comprehensively with each of the points raised on behalf of the parents.

"We have reached the clear conclusion that each of her decisions was right for the reasons she gave.

"It follows that the proposed appeal has no prospect of success and there is no other compelling reason for the Court of Appeal to hear an appeal."

The family have now applied to the European Court of Human Rights after losing the latest legal bid, campaign group Christian Concern said.

They are challenging the High Court ruling made this morning.

Archie's parents have fought a long-running legal battle over the withdrawal of his treatment, which ultimately failed on Wednesday when the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene.

Their focus then shifted to trying to get their son moved to a hospice, but in a ruling at the High Court on Friday morning, Mrs Justice Theis concluded it was not in Archie's best interests to be moved.

The boy has been in a coma since he was found unconscious by his mother in April and is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.