Alfie Evans latest: Police vow to combat 'highly abusive and threatening' online messages sent to hospital staff

Police have vowed to tackle online threats against those treating Alfie Evans after hospital staff said they had suffered “unprecedented personal abuse”.

The stark warning came after the Court of Appeal rejected a last-ditch bid by the 23-month-old’s parents against an earlier ruling that prevented them from flying him to Rome.

Merseyside Police said officers are monitoring posts being shared on social media in relation to the case of the seriously ill boy, warning that any “malicious communications” will be acted upon.

The force’s chief inspector Chris Gibson on Wednesday said: “Merseyside Police has been made aware of a number of social media posts which have been made with reference to Alder Hey Hospital and the ongoing situation involving Alfie Evans.

“I would like to make people aware that these posts are being monitored and remind social media users that any offences including malicious communications and threatening behaviour will be investigated and where necessary will be acted upon.”

Sir David Henshaw, chairman of the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, and chief executive Louise Shepherd had said in an open letter that the events of recent weeks had "deeply affected" staff.

The statement came as three Court of Appeal judges rejected the latest plea from Tom Evans and Kate James after their son came off life support on Monday.

The chairman's letter read: "Alfie Evans has deeply affected us all at Alder Hey. There isn't one member of our staff untouched by his desperate story, the facts of the case and the publicity surrounding it.

"All of us feel deeply for Alfie and his whole family and we continue to do everything we can to support them as best we can, just as we have for the last 17 months.

"Yet in the last two weeks we have found ourselves at the centre of a social media storm that has included many untrue statements about our work and the motivations of our staff.

"This has led to often inappropriate interventions from a range of external bodies and individuals, some of which have caused significant disruption to our children, families and staff.”

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

Specialists say his brain has been "eroded", but his parents Tom Evans and Kate James, who are in their 20s and from Liverpool, insist their son is not experiencing pain or suffering.