Archie Battersbee: court refuses to postpone withdrawal of life support

Judges say termination should not be suspended beyond midday on Tuesday as UN considers case of 12-year-old

The court of appeal has refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from 12-year-old Archie Battersbee beyond midday on Tuesday, rejecting an application by his parents.

Hollie Dance, 46, and Paul Battersbee, 57, from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, had asked the court to extend a legal stay on the decision by a high court judge allowing treatment of Archie, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury on 7 April, to be stopped. The couple have been fighting a legal battle against Barts NHS trust since May, asking that their son be allowed to die as natural" a death as possible.