Charlie Gard's parents have been left 'devastated' after a judge today ignored their own wishes and ruled their son should die - but the couple have vowed to fight on to save his life.

Heartbroken Connie Yates and Chris Gard both sobbed and yelled 'no' as Mr Justice Francis sided with Great Ormond Street doctors who believe his life support should be switched off.

The High Court judge said he had made the decision with the 'heaviest of hearts' but with 'complete conviction' that letting Charlie die was in his best interests because he may be in pain and there is no accepted cure to his rare genetic condition.

After the ruling his parents said they could not understand why the judge had not 'at least given Charlie the chance of treatment in America'.

Miss Yates and Mr Gard, from west London, will now apply to the Court of Appeal to stop the eight-month-old's life support being withdrawn straight away, a legal process that can take up to 21 days.

More than 80,000 people raised £1.26million for Charlie's proposed US treatment and many have been writing messages of support on social media using the hashtag #charliesfight and blue hearts.

Heartbroken: Charlie's heartbroken mother Connie Yates is comforted as she leaves the High Court today after a judge ruled that her son should die rather than fly to the US for treatment

Devastated: Father Chris Gard, pictured afterwards, who was clutching his son's toy monkey, sobbed and yelled 'no' as Mr Justice Francis sided with Great Ormond Street doctors

Brave: Doctors at Great Ormond Street can withdraw life-support treatment from baby Charlie against his parents' wishes, a High Court judge has ruled

Before the ruling his mother said she would set up a charity in his name to save other children with the donations if his life was not spared.

Little Charlie's parents have now sought permission to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

His life support will be left on as judges decide whether to grant the application. The process can take up to 21 days.

Earlier Mr Justice Francis, who visited the baby in hospital, said he had decided Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity and praised the little boy's parents for their campaign and paid tribute to their devotion.

He said: 'It is with the heaviest of hearts, but with complete conviction for Charlie's best interests, that I find it is in Charlie's best interests that I accede to these applications and rule that Great Ormond Street may lawfully withdraw all treatment save for palliative care to permit Charlie to die with dignity.

'I want to thank the team of experts and carers at Great Ormond Street, and others who cannot be named, for the extraordinary care that they have provided to this family.

Mr Justice Francis said he had made the decision with the 'heaviest of hearts' but with 'complete conviction' for Charlie's best interests

'Most importantly of all, I want to thank Charlie's parents for their brave and dignified campaign on his behalf, but more than anything to pay tribute to their absolute dedication to their wonderful boy, from the day that he was born.'

Chris Gard, who had tucked his dying son's toy monkey into the top pocket of his grey suit, cried 'no' and covered his face with his hands as he heard the judge's decision.

The couple wept as the judge spoke and left the court room soon afterwards.

Doctors in the US had offered to try a treatment called nucleoside bypass therapy on Charlie.

But the judge said experts agreed that the treatment could not reverse Charlie's brain damage.

He said experimentation might benefit medical science but could not benefit Charlie.

He added: 'Some people may ask why the court has any function in this process; why can the parents not make this decision on their own? The answer is that, although the parents have parental responsibility, overriding control is vested in the court exercising its independent and objective judgment in the child's best interests.

'The Great Ormond Street Hospital has made an application and it is my duty to rule on it, given that the parents and the hospital cannot agree on the best way forward'.

Miss Yates and Mr Gard's solicitor Laura Hobey-Hamsher said the couple would now 'look carefully at the reasons behind the decision and are considering what they can do now.'

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Hobey-Hamsher, who works for law firm Bindmans, said: 'Connie and Chris are devastated by today's decision.'

She added: 'They are struggling to understand why the court has not at least given Charlie the chance of treatment in America.'

The lawyer said the couple were 'profoundly grateful' for the 'help and generosity' they had received.

She said they wanted time to consider their next move and added: 'Their immediate priority is returning to, and spending time with, Charlie.'

Afterwards his parents (left and right) said they could not understand why the judge had not 'at least given Charlie the chance of treatment' - but they will appeal the decision

Upsetting: Connie Yates, pictured left with her partner Chris and their son Charlie, sobbed as she heard her son would certainly die without any more treatment

Anger: Many of Charlie's supporters have been left furious by the decision to let the baby die

British doctors fear Charlie could be in pain and the American doctor's treatment was 'very unlikely' to help him, the judge said.

Charlie's parents, who spend every waking hour at their eight month old baby's bedside, are adamant that he shows signs of growing stronger and is calmed by their presence.

The couple wanted to take their their little boy to America for experimental treatment and said last night: 'We're praying that he gets his chance'.

In a joint statement they said ahead of today's ruling by Mr Justice Francis: 'We will always be eternally grateful whatever the outcome for Charlie. We're praying that he gets his chance.

'If Charlie dies we'll use the cash to save other children', says his bereft mother Connie Yates, 31, right, has indicated what would happen to money raised if the judge sided with Great Ormond Street. 'A few people have asked us what we'll do if we don't win the court case,' she said in a statement. 'We have thought long and hard about it and we would set up a charity for mitochondrial depletion syndrome's (there are others that are more common than Charlie's specific gene). 'We'd like to save other babies and children because these medications have been proven to work and we honestly have so much belief in them. 'We would like some of it to go to research at the specific hospital that are willing to treat Charlie and the rest will be available to help other families to get the medication that their children desperately need. 'We hope that you can all support us in making treatments available so that nobody else ever has to go through what we have.' A GoFundMe spokesman said officials would have discussions with Charlie's parents about what would happen to money raised for treatment. He said: 'We'll be speaking privately to the family in the next few days about what they want to do and how we can support them.' Advertisement

And in a message for their little son they said: 'We love you. We will fight for you until the very end and we'll pray that we'll get to hold your warm hand forever. We won't give up on you because you have a rare disease, it's not your fault, you shouldn't have to die'.

'Charlie we are so immensely proud of you and we hope that we have done you proud by standing by your side and never giving up despite everything we've had to face.

'You're our baby and we are your parents and we will do ANYTHING for you. We've got the money, we've got our passports, we've got the Dr who's got the medication. all you need is the chance. We won't give up on you because you have a rare disease, it's not your fault, you shouldn't have to die, I'm sorry this has happened to you, I wish I could take your place!!

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London think it is time to stop providing life support and let the little boy, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, die with dignity.

Last week Charlie Gard's desperate mother begged a High Court judge to give her brain-damaged son 'one shot' at life after she wept when an independent expert recommended he should be allowed to die.

They suffered a setback when Charlie's court-appointed guardian, who praised the couple's 'devotion' and 'dignity', said there is 'no real prospect of improving Charlie's condition or quality of life'.

But his defiant mother responded by begging the judge: 'Charlie has one shot, one chance of life. Without this treatment, Charlie's only alternative is death.

'Charlie deserves his chance to improve and get a better quality of life.'

In a crucial moment during the case Charlie's guardian recommended to the judge that he should die.

Victoria Butler-Cole, a barrister speaking for the guardian, told the judge: 'The guardian has listened closely to the oral evidence during the hearing this week and has concluded that it is not in Charlie's best interests to travel to America to receive nucleoside therapy.

'This is not pioneering or life-saving treatment, but a purely experimental process with no real prospect of improving Charlie's condition or quality of life.

'The guardian has further concluded that it is not in Charlie's best interests to continue to receive life-sustaining medical treatment. The continuation of ventilation will not benefit Charlie, but will prolong the process of dying.'

Heading to court: Charlie Guard's parents arrive at court where the judge will make a final decision on his fate with his dad Chris carrying his cuddly monkey in his pocket

Heartbreaking: Doctors at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital say there is no accepted cure and it would be kinder to allow Charlie, pictured above, to pass away

The lawyer representing Great Ormond Street specialists said 'world-renowned' experts agreed that Charlie should be allowed to die and the American offering treatment was a 'lone voice'.

Charlie is only 16th child in the world with rare genetic condition Charlie Gard (pictured) has a rare genetic condition which can cause progressive muscle weakness and brain damage. The eight-month-old suffers from a form of mitochondrial disease - and is believed to be only the 16th person in the world to be diagnosed with his ultra-rare genetic condition. Mitochondria power a cell and have their own DNA which is distinct from the genetic material within the cell nucleus. However, harmful mutations in the mitochondrial DNA can prevent mitochondria from working properly, resulting in a number of diseases. The diseases can affect major organs and cause conditions such as poor vision, diabetes and muscle wasting. A barrister representing doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie is being treated, told the court that the baby boy was unable to cry and was deaf. Children may inherit mitochondrial DNA defects from their mothers, not their fathers, but the defective mitochondria in a mother's egg can be replaced with healthy mitochondria from a donor. The technique means a baby would have DNA from three individuals - with nuclear DNA from its mother and father, with a tiny amount of mitochondrial DNA provided by a female donor - the third 'parent'. It is a highly controversial technique, but fertility doctors in Newcastle have obtained a licence to carry out the IVF treatment. Only one three-parent baby has been created previously. Advertisement

Debra Powell QC said Chris Gard and Connie Yates had given their son 'complete and unwavering' love and support but Charlie's 'quality of life' was 'so poor'.

She told Mr Justice Francis that the views of Charlie's parents were 'extremely important' but not 'determinative'.

Ms Powell added: 'This is a case where the possible benefits are so small that they are outweighed, heavily outweighed, by the burdens.'

'This case concerns a little boy who is dearly loved and cherished by his family. The parents' commitment to him has been complete and unwavering. They have been determined and passionate advocates for his best interests.

Last week Charlie's father made a final plea to a judge to save his son's life and told him: 'I can't bear to lose him. He's my boy'.

Clutching Charlie's favourite stuffed toy monkey Chris Gard told Mr Justice Francis the eight-month-old 'deserves this chance' to go to the United States for treatment.

Giving evidence at the High Court with Charlie's mother Connie by his side Mr Gard was asked to confirm he was the boy's father, and replied firmly: 'Proud father.'

He added: 'Me and Connie firmly believe that Charlie was sent to us to look after him. We truly believe these medicines work.

'If there was no improvement, we would let him go. We would never keep him like this. He deserves that chance. He has earned that chance.

'I just plead that you please give him the chance'.

He also attacked the doctors who said there was no hope, adding: 'My son is the apple of my eye and I would do anything for him. He deserves this chance.'

Last week it emerged a doctor who believes baby Charlie should be allowed to die described his heartbroken parents as a 'spanner in the works'.

The Great Ormond Street medic, who cannot be named, said Connie Yates and Chris Gard's 'hunt' for hospitals around the world to save him had delayed the decision about their son's fate.

He sent an email complaining to a colleague about their 'parent-driven' search for a specialist because it was holding up a court case in which the London hospital asked a judge to sanction letting the eight month old die.

Unwell: Seven-month-old Charlie Gard is believed to be only the 16th person in the world to be diagnosed with his ultra-rare genetic condition

Charlie's mother final plea to judge to let him live A tearful Connie Yates has personally begged Judge Francis to let her son live. She pleaded: 'Charlie has one shot, one chance of life.' 'Without this treatment, Charlie's only alternative is death. 'Charlie deserves his chance to improve and get a better quality of life.' 'This therapy could work absolute wonders, and not harm him.' 'He always responds to us, only last night I took a video where Charlie was awake, I tickled his head.' Mrs Yates said he opened his eyes as if to say 'Oi, I was annoyed'. Charlie's father sobbed as, reading from her smartphone, she added: 'His only alternative is death. Why should any human being, let alone an innocent little boy, not be given that chance.' Miss Yates said if her son suffered or did not respond to the treatment, they would give up. 'If the situation were different we would be allowing Charlie to die with dignity.' Advertisement

The doctor also described the US expert as 'the only person on earth' advocating pioneering treatment for Charlie.

Miss Yates cried out 'it's a lie' and began sobbing in court as the same doctor said Charlie's brain function was so poor there is no difference between him being asleep and awake.

The doctor said that when the clinical team met in January to consider Charlie's case, 'it was one of the most distressing ethics committee meetings we have had'.

The court heard that when Charlie's parents started researching his condition themselves, and contacted experts around the world, one of his Great Ormond Street doctors described this in an email as 'parent-driven' and 'a spanner in the works'.

The email between the Great Ormond Street doctors which was read out by the family's barrister in court, said: 'The spanner in the works has been a parent-driven exploration of all alternatives internationally leading to a new specialist who has recommended a three month trial of nucleosides.'

Asked if it was an appropriate way to describe parents on a 'hunt for a treatment for their child', the doctor replied: 'It's a bit clumsy but I was trying to suggest that our previous decision to take this to the court as urgently as we could was being held up by something being explored that needed to be explored.'

'We love you and won't give up. You don't deserve to die': Charlie's parents' message for their poorly son Charlie's parents gave a statement last night about why Charlie should have the chance to win Your child is ill, you find them medication but your not allowed to give it to them. You've been battling to keep your child alive for 6 months and all that fight boils down to one person and one day.. Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 2pm is when your child's fate will be decided.. your parental rights could be taken away. Your child is admittedly nothing like a normal 8 month old baby BUT he's not as bad as they say, your proud of your child moving their hands or feet, opening their eyes, moving their mouth despite only having 1-2% muscle strength. You break down in court hearing otherwise 'no purposeful movements' 'he can't breathe because his brain doesn't work' 'he's blind' 'he never wakes up' 'he's in pain' none of that is true!! You are the one who spends every waking hour with your child... well over 3000 hours since you arrived in hospital - you know your child, you know when they are happy or sad, you know best or you wouldn't still be fighting! You swear on the bible in court and know that your telling the truth 'he's not blind' 'he does respond' 'he's not in pain' 'he doesn't have a good quality of life BUT he needs this chance, the chance to improve' 'he's not suffering or i wouldn't be standing here now' 'HIS MRI IS FINE' 'he should improve' 'please trust us as parents, we won't let him suffer' 'he needs this chance' Charlie we are so immensely proud of you and we hope that we have done you proud by standing by your side and never giving up despite everything we've had to face! We've never been so stressed in our lives but we'd do it all again in a heartbeat because YOU are worth every ounce of pain and every single tear! You're our baby and we are your parents and we will do ANYTHING for you! We've got the money, we've got our passports, we've got the Dr who's got the medication.. all you need is the chance. We won't give up on you because you have a rare disease, it's not your fault, you shouldn't have to die, I'm sorry this has happened to you, I wish I could take your place!! We love you! We will fight for you until the very end and we'll pray that we'll get to hold your warm hand forever Thank you to everyone who has supported us, you have put our faith back into humanity.. we will always be eternally grateful whatever the outcome for Charlie but we're praying that he gets his chance! #charliesfight #charliesarmy #charlieschance #savecharlie Advertisement

Swell of support for sick baby's parents as well-wishers flood Twitter with #CharliesFight hashtag and blue hearts after judge gives his devastating ruling

Charlie Gard's family were met with a wave of support from well-wishers after a judge ruled that the baby's life support should be turned off.

The eight-month-old's devastated parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, lost their case against Great Ormond Street Hospital, with Mr Justice Francis ruling that the boy should 'die with dignity.'

Uniting under the hashtag #charliesfight, Twitter users posted blue hearts and slammed the decision, with many believing that the eight-month-old deserves another shot at life.

Actress Leona Vaughan, who stars in CBBC show Wolfblood, was among those to condemn the verdict.

She posted that 'No man should have the right to take a life away, not a judge, doctor or anyone else' followed by three blue hearts and the aforementioned hashtag.

But, many other members of the public echoed her sentiments, following the decision.

One fellow Twitter user said: 'Thoughts with the parents of Charlie Gard. Absolutely gutted to hear that they have lost their court case.'

Another added: 'How awful, to think he could of had a chance - no one should make that decision for a parent it should be their choice.'

Belyna O'Brien posted: 'Just heard about the courts decision for #charliesfight he should be allowed one chance!!!! Thoughts are with his family!'

There were also calls for an appeal, which is already being sought by Charlie's parents.

Several users also criticised Great Ormond Street for bringing forward the case for the youngster to die.

One even pointed to the Government's refusal to allow euthanasia for terminally ill adults as a reason as to why he should have been given experimental treatment in America after £1.26million was raised by 80,000 members of the public.