The family of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee have vowed to "fight to the end" after filing a last-minute bid to have him moved to a hospice.

Doctors treating the schoolboy, who is from Southend, for the last four months declared Archie to be "brain-stem dead", prompting a lengthy legal battle by his family to continue his life support treatment in the hope the unconscious boy would recover.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) refused an application from the boy's parents on Wednesday to delay any changes to his treatment, which was due to be withdrawn from 11am today.

Read more >>> Family make application to High Court to move Archie to a hospice, spokesman confirms

The family confirmed they have now lodged a final application to the High Court in London to transfer Archie from the Royal London Hospital to a hospice.

Life support will not be withdrawn this morning until the High Court has made a decision.

Hollie Dance, the boy's mother, said: "I pray that the High Court will do the right thing.

"If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archie's 'dignity'.

"We will fight to the end for Archie's right to live."

She said she wanted her son to "spend his last moments" together with family privately.

Barts Health NHS Trust has said Archie's condition is too unstable for a transfer and that moving him by ambulance to a different setting "would most likely hasten the premature deterioration the family wish to avoid, even with full intensive care equipment and staff on the journey".

A family spokesman said a hospice has agreed to take Archie, adding: "Hospices are well and truly designed for palliative and respite care.

"Archie is now obviously on palliative care so there is no reason whatsoever for him not to take his last moments at a hospice."