Archie Batterbee’s life support is set to be switched off this morning, pending a final attempt by his family to postpone the decision.
It comes after the 12-year-old from Southend in Essex was found unconscious with a ligature over his head after believing to have taken part in an online challenge back on 7 April 2022, and has been in a coma ever since without regaining consciousness.
Declared “brain-stem dead” by medical professionals, he is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions – including ventilation and drug treatments.
The High Court previously ruled that Archie’s treatment should come to an end and his life support should be switched off, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision, before the Supreme Court denied extensions on several occasions.
But his parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, have refused to give up their fight.
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His parents claim that stopping treatment would be in breach of the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
Archie Battersbee, 12, from Southend in Essex / Credit: Hollie Dance
Having been at the centre of a lengthy legal dispute over the last few months, the family’s appeal against the decision to end his treatment was refused by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, and Ms Dance said that her son’s treatment would end, unless an application was made to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) by 9am.
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Archie’s life support will be withdrawn at 11am if an application is not submitted to the ECHR in time, Ms Dance confirmed.
The Supreme Court panel said on Tuesday in its ruling that, while they have “great sympathy with the plight of Archie’s devoted parents,” they believe there is “no prospect of any meaningful recovery”, adding that: “Even if life-sustaining treatment were to be maintained, Archie would die in the course of the next few weeks through organ failure and then heart failure.”
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“The panel reaches this conclusion with a heavy heart,” the ruling said.
Archie with his mother, Hollie Dance / Credit: Hollie Dance
Barts NHS Health Trust – which runs the Royal London Hospital in east London, where Archie is being treated – said it would continue to “work with the family to prepare for the withdrawal of treatment”, but speaking after the Supreme Court’s decision, Ms Dance said she would “fight to the bitter end”.
She felt the system to decide treatment options where there is a dispute between families and hospital trusts “needs reforming dramatically,” and she hopes they have “paved the way” for any other parents wanting to go up against a trust in this country and the justice system.
A government spokesperson said in response to the ongoing fight ahead of the final bid this morning to extend Archie’s treatment that “our thoughts are with Archie Battersbee’s family at this incredibly difficult time”.
“It is right that decisions about Archie’s treatment are taken by expert doctors and the courts.”
Featured Image – Hollie Dance
News
Michelin-recommended rooftop restaurant Climat has closed its doors with immediate effect
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s top-rated restaurants has announced its shock and immediate closure.
Climat, which is set way up high in Blackfriars House with staggering views of Manchester city centre, has said that the Michelin-recommended restaurant is now permanently closed.
In a heartbreaking statement, founder Christopher Laidler said that Climat is ‘yet another casualty of the times we’re living in’.
Laying out the brutal reality of running a hospitality business, Chris wrote about ‘rampant food inflation’, an ‘ever-increasing tax burden’, and ‘the persistent cost of living crisis’, describing it as a perfect storm against hospitality.
Then delving deeper into the numbers, he shared that Climat has faced an eye-watering £112,000 electricity bill for its first 13 months in business – that’s 400% more than they’d budgeted.
That was chased by a 33% increase in staff wages, then a jump in business rates from £12,000 a year to £38,000 a year.
Couple that with reduced footfall and it’s ‘spelling disaster for so many’.
Climat has closed its doors with immediate effectClimat has laid their finances bare in their closing statement
He wrote: “Whilst I wanted to highlight these reasons for closure, in the naive hope the Government will start to listen before it’s too late for others, I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of our team over the last 3.5 years.
“The closure does not do justice to their efforts and dedication. I’d also like extend a huge debt of gratitude to our guests for their support, enabling us to build a nationally recognised wine list – our raison d’être.”
Signing off, he said: “I wish everyone the very best of luck in these challenging times. Bye for now, Christopher.”
Climat opened in late 2022, with an impressive wine list and a beautiful restaurant space overlooking Manchester.
It didn’t take long before it was added to the Michelin Guide, which wrote: “An open kitchen is the focus of the room, with its aromas filling the air, and the concise fixed-price menu includes well-executed dishes such as halibut with spinach and sorrel velouté, where the ingredient quality shines through.
“Wine is a feature with one side of the room acting as a bar and the carefully curated list deftly mixing traditional and modern styles.”
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd August 2022 
