Medical experts have confirmed that it would do more harm than good to keep a terminally ill child on life support.

The scientists have agreed with the courts decision that Charlie Gard's life support should end letting him die with dignity,.

Despite well wishes from around the world, including those from the Pope and President Donald Trump, supporting his parents' wishes, professors have warned Charlie's interests must be the main priority.

Jonathan Montgomery, a professor of health care law at University College London, said: ""This is not a case where Charlie's parents have not been listened to.

"It is a case where their hopes for improvement are not justified by the evidence that they and others have put before the courts.

"The case is tragic, but we owe it to Charlie to take decisions based on evidence -hope requires some foundation if it is to justify subjecting him to harm."

Mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic condition from which Charlie is suffering - and which leaves him unable to see, hear or move - is "cruel" and without a cure, said Professor Sian Harding, director of the BHF Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine Centre at Imperial College.

Prof Harding said: "Mitochondrial diseases are cruel because they strike babies and young children, who rapidly deteriorate. It is because there is no cure that the scientific and medical community have concentrated on pre-conception mitochondrial therapy, and it has been an enormous advance that this is now licensed by the Government. It allows parents with these mutations to have healthy children, though sadly cannot help babies already born."

Dr Giles Birchley, senior research associate in surgical innovation and bioethics at the University of Bristol, said "only the most desperate cases reach the courts".

He said: "It is natural to reach out to that child's poor parents, whose suffering is dreadful. But putting any terminally ill child through an experimental treatment which cannot make them better will not help either that child or their parents. It will only prolong that child's hurt and suffering."

Professor Dominic Wilkinson, director of medical ethics at the University of Oxford, said doctors must take the "ethical course".

He said: "Sadly, reluctantly, doctors and judges are justified in concluding that continuing life support is not always helpful for a child and is in fact doing more harm than good.

"Providing comfort, avoiding painful and unhelpful medical treatments, supporting the child and family for their remaining time: sometimes that is the best that we can do, and the only ethical course."