The parents of a 23-month-old boy who has been at the centre of a life-support treatment battle have lost the latest round of their legal fight after failing to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider their case for a second time.

Tom Evans and Kate James, who are both in their early twenties, had made another application to the Supreme Court after losing a second fight over Alfie Evans at the Court of Appeal.

But justices on Friday dismissed their application.

Judges have also approved a plan for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie’s life to an end.

Three appeal court judges endorsed a plan drawn up by doctors earlier this week.

But they said treatment should continue until Supreme Court justices had made a decision.

Judges said no detail of the plan could be made public because Alfie was entitled to privacy as his life came to a close.

Alfie’s parents had already lost one round of fights, in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

Alfie's parents (Philip Toscano/PA)
Alfie’s parents Tom Evans and Kate James want to move their son from Alder Hey to a hospital in Rome (Philip Toscano/PA)

In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents, after hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool.

Specialists at Alder Hey said life-support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile.

Alfie’s parents want to move their son from Alder Hey to a hospital in Rome.

The couple said Italian doctors were willing to treat the little boy and an air ambulance was available.

But Mr Justice Hayden said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless.

Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions.

Supreme Court justices and European Court of Human Rights’ judges refused to intervene.

Alfie’s parents had also argued that Alfie was being wrongly “detained” at Alder Hey and had made a habeas corpus application.

A writ of habeas corpus – Latin for “you may have the body”‘ – is a legal manoeuvre which requires a court to examine the legality of a detention.

It is a piece of common law which probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.

Mr Justice Hayden dismissed that habeas corpus claim last week.

Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Hayden’s decision.

Judges have heard that Alfie, born on May 9 2016, is in a “semi-vegetative state” and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors had not definitively diagnosed.

Specialists say his brain has been “eroded”.

A statement issued by Alder Hey said: “Today the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the High Court and the Court of Appeal confirming that: ‘It has been conclusively determined that it is not in Alfie’s best interests to continue to receive treatment or to travel abroad for treatment.’

“The Supreme Court acknowledged that this was a ‘desperately sad case… principally of course for Alfie’s parents for they love their little boy dearly and want to do all in their power to keep him alive.

“‘But it is sad also for the people who have been keeping Alfie alive for so long, the doctors and nurses at Alder Hey hospital.’

“Having reviewed the application, the Supreme Court concluded that: ‘The release to which (Alfie) is entitled, therefore, is release from the imposition of treatment which is not in his best interests.’

“Alfie’s parents have done everything in their power to do what they think is best for him even though that is contrary to the views of the doctors.

“That has inevitably prolonged the period over which he has been given treatment that was determined in February not to be in his best interests.

“In concluding their judgment, the Supreme Court said: ‘There is also no reason for further delay. There will be no further stay of the Court of Appeal’s order.

“‘The hospital must be free to do what has been determined to be in Alfie’s best interests. That is the law in this country.  No application to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg can or should change that.’

“The Supreme Court has also dismissed the suggestion that Alfie was either ‘detained’ or ‘unlawfully detained’.”

Supporters of Alfie Evans and his family, who had descended on the hospital, left following an appeal from Mr Evans on Monday.

No protestors were at the hospital today and none of Alfie’s family were seen there as they have been on previous days.