A group of protestors supporting terminally ill toddler Alfie Evans have tried to storm Alder Hey hospital.

A crowd protesting withdrawal of life-support for Alfie Evans tried to storm the front entrance at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital before police repelled them. pic.twitter.com/YX2lB3JOaL

— Patrick Hurst (@paddyhurst) 23 April 2018

About 200 people turned up to protest outside the Liverpool hospital after judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) refused to intervene in the case.

Dozens ran towards the main doors before police officers formed a line to block the entrance.

An ECHR spokesman said the family's application was "inadmissible".

After a short stand off with police the supporters retreated to gather around 100 yards away on the road outside, chanting: "Save Alfie Evans."

Earlier the supporters blocked the road outside the hospital for about 15 minutes after Mr Evans spoke to them, and then moved to line both sides.

Parents Tom Evans and Kate James had lodged an urgent application wiht the ECHR over the 23-month-old's life support at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

The Supreme Court has approved a plan for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie's life to an end.

Judges said the hospital must be "free to do what has been determined to be in Alfie's best interests".

Last week Mr Evans and Ms James, who are from Liverpool, failed to persuade the Supreme Court that Alfie was being unlawfully detained at Alder Hey.

They wanted to take Alfie - who has been suffering from an undiagnosed degenerative brain disease - to Rome's Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital, which has links to the Vatican, where his palliative care would continue.

Before today's ECHR ruling, Alfie's parents had already lost a first round of cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and European Court of Human Rights, as well as two cases at the Supreme Court.

Last week Merseyside Police said it was investigating "acts of intimidation" among protesters outside Alder Hey after the atmosphere outside the hospital was described as "intimidating and scary".

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

This little boy cannot sustain life independently. It is very, very sad, but it is a fact and it is far more humane to let him go peacefully. Doctors and nurses at Alderhey do an amazing job on a daily basis, saving lives and giving excellent care. It is disgraceful to try and make out that it's a conspiracy and that really he could be saved. Children deserve to run, play, laugh and enjoy life, not lie in a coma. Some thought should be given to the effect this demonstration is having on the other families and children in the hospital, it needs to stop now.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

Our culture of death?? What a load of rubbish!!

I have supported and continue to support the parents effort's to save their son but the protestors have really gone too far in 'storming' the entrance.
If they'd gained entry what did they imagine they could do?
Contrast their behaviour against that of the parents and it appears as if a 'rent-a-mob' mentality prevails with the protestors.
I think there is now justification in moving the protestors a significant distance away from the hospital entrance.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

Have you read the judgment ?

Sending Alfie to die somewhere else is not just sticking him on a plane, it requires a range of invasive procedures to ensure that Alfie does not die in transit. There is no medical testimony from anywhere in the world that suggests anything other than he is effectively already dead. He no longer has a brain and he registers nothing but spinal chord reflexes.

The behaviour of the mob is nothing short of disgusting.

Utter morons. There were repeated posts on Facebook today urging anyone inside the hospital to set off the fire alarm.

Horrendous scenes from societies bottom feeders completely oblivious to both the science and the effect on the innocent children caught up in their ill considered protests.
Do any of them seriously think any of the medical staff involved have anything but the childs interests first and foremost.
He is kept alive by science and shipping him off to Italy for some bogus religious witch doctor to chant over him will not change a thing.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

‘Culture of death’? I can only assume from your statement that you are a misinformed idiot like the rest of the Facebook idiots causing problems at the wonderful Alder Hey hospital. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

Another idiot that knows nothing.
The boy is already dead, being kept alive for months by the very hospital your condemning.

NHS and judge after judge have seen the evidence, Yet people think some 20 year old knows better then all the experts. This isn't about Alfie, it's about his Dad.

There are hundreds of kids in that hospital, many seriously ill need the best care they can be offered. Not to have idiots out side ranting and shouting abuse at the very people trying to save their lives.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

Are you for real " Culture of death"??????? I suppose then you put us in this country the same as what happened in 1945, get real will you. This is an "extremely" sad case, no parent wants this to happen to their child, just as the staff, doctors etc at Alder Hey but sometimes the "Odds" are stacked against you and you have to let it go.

Storming a HOSPITAL!!!!! although poetic licence might play a part.

I tell you what "Dav" or is it Divvy sit down somewhere very quiet, darkened room and contemplate what you have blogged. Eventually you will see the ill founded words you have spewed.

the same morons who are storming Alder Hey will no doubt be lobbing bottles at the AS Roma coach tomorrow night.

Self pity city.

Originally Posted by dav

The NHS and the judges would rather kill the child rather than let him continue with free palliative care at Bambino Gesu as his parents wish (and where several similar cases have been sensitively treated). We should be ashamed of our culture of death.

What a totally ridiculous statement, we keep hearing this talk of taking this little boy to Italy, just how is this going to be achieved? for sure the little boy certainly can't be just carried out of the hospital and transported to Italy, doubtful if he would survive getting to the airport without complicated, extensive treatment and equipment.

Alder Hey would need to know the details of how this could be achieved before releasing the little boy, we have heard that an ambulance and a fully equipped plane are available, how does that work? this sort of equipment is not usually just sat around waiting, it is also clear that the people in possession of the sad facts are all agreed that there is no future prospects for this little boy, all that is happening is prolonging the agony for all concerned.

As far as the "supporters" at Alder Hey go, just what sort of mentality do these people have? they are targeting a hospital and staff who perform wonders for children, yet they feel free to call the hospital and staff murderers and worse, they have not the slightest thought in their few available brain cells for the children currently undergoing treatment (in many cases life saving), for the parents of those children, looks more like mob rule and a witch hunt.

These are probably the same sort of plant pots who, a year or two back, attacked a paediatrician, his home and family, because they were too thick to know the difference between paediatrician and paedophile.

Originally Posted by Disturbed

the same morons who are storming Alder Hey will no doubt be lobbing bottles at the AS Roma coach tomorrow night.

Self pity city.

Even Boris Johnson found that out!

Come on "Dav" gone quiet over there, why is that anything to come back with?????? No is the word apart from "Sorry" that's another.

Brain dead moron.