Health bosses have called in police after staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital have been bombarded with violent threats and abuse over the case of baby Charlie Gard.

Thousands of abusive messages, including death threats, have been sent to doctors and nurses at the children’s hospital in London, managers revealed on Saturday.

Staff have also been abused in the street, said the hospital.

Scotland Yard has been informed and the hospital has warned it will seek the prosecution of anyone suspected of threatening its staff.

The threats come amid the ongoing controversy over the role of Great Ormond Street (GOSH) in the case of baby Charlie, where doctors are seeking permission to turn off the youngster’s life support machine.

Charlie’s parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates want the judge to rule that their 11-month-old son, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial overseen by a specialist in New York.

Specialists at GOSH say the therapy is experimental and will not help and that life support treatment should stop.

Mary MacLeod, Chairman of Great Ormond Street Hospital said: “In recent weeks the GOSH community has been subjected to a shocking and disgraceful tide of hostility and disturbance. Staff have received abuse both in the street and online.