Archie Battersbee: Hundreds attend vigil in Southend

Hundreds of people turned out for a vigil in memory of Archie Battersbee, who died on 6 August after his life support was withdrawn.

Archie was found unresponsive at his home in Southend on 7 April and never regained consciousness.

On Sunday evening people gathered at the bandstand in the coastal city's Priory Park to pay their respects and release purple balloons in his memory.

His mother thanked them for "supporting us while we were in that awful place".

Archie was at the centre of a legal battle between his parents, who wanted his life-sustaining treatment to continue, and doctors who said he was "brain-stem dead".

At Sunday's vigil, people held purple balloons with "forever in our hearts" written on them.

Cards with the message "a mother's love", and a photo of Archie and his mother, Hollie Dance, were hung from a pine tree.

Addressing the gathering, Ms Dance said: "Thank you so, so much for supporting us while we were in that awful place.

"I hope you all stand by me in trying to change this law... so that no more of our children and their parents go through this."

Earlier in the evening she had spoken to the media, saying: "It's been really hard. It was a fight for my little boy's life.

"If I had to go back and do it again I would fight equally as hard.

"I will continue this fight. I have got no intention of giving up, Archie wouldn't want me to give up, he would definitely want me to continue.

"Things have got to change."

Archie passed away at the Royal London Hospital on 6 August after treatment was withdrawn in line with court rulings about his best interests.

Members of his family were at his bedside.

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