The UK government has been told to keep Archie Battersbee alive while it considers the case for removing his life support.

UK courts have given the go ahead for the removal of the 12-year-old's life support but his family are fighting for more time. 

They turned to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (UN CRPD) after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case. 

The UK is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which allows complaints to be made about possible violations. 

The family, which is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), argue that stopping treatment would be in breach of the UK's obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the convention, as well as Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.

Responding to the news, Archie's mum, Hollie Dance, said: "I am so grateful to the UN for their response and acting so quickly for my son. We have been under so much stress and anxiety; we are already broken and the not-knowing what was going to happen next was excruciating. To get this news now means everything.

"This is the first time this has ever happened in history of this inhumane system in the UK. There have been so many ups and downs, but we have put on the full armour of God, gone into the battle and now we have given Archie time, that is all we have ever asked for."

CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said: "We are delighted with the response from the UN. It is high-time that the UK's processes around proactively ending children's lives came under international scrutiny.

"We now hope and pray that the UN Committee may do justice to Archie and his family, as well as to other disabled people in UK hospitals in future cases.

"Life is the most precious gift we have.

"We have stood with the family from the beginning three months ago following the tragedy and now continue to pray for this beautiful boy, Archie, and for everyone involved."