UK police appeal to parents of cancer stricken boy to return him to hospital

“Time is running out” for a five-year-old boy with a brain tumour who was taken without consent from hospital by his parents as the battery on his feeding system runs out today, police have said.

UK police appeal to parents of cancer stricken boy to return him to hospital

“Time is running out” for a five-year-old boy with a brain tumour who was taken without consent from hospital by his parents as the battery on his feeding system runs out today, police have said.

Ashya King’s family took him from Southampton General Hospital at around 2pm yesterday and travelled on a ferry to France some two hours later.

Hampshire Constabulary said they were told by the hospital that the youngster was missing at 8.35pm last night – more than six hours after he had been taken by his parents, Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45.

Speaking at a press conference, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said: “It is vital that we find Ashya today. His health will deteriorate rapidly.”

He added: “Ashya is in a wheelchair and is fed through a tube. The feeding system is battery operated and that battery will run out today.

“Time is running out for this little boy. We need to find him and we need to find him urgently.”

Hampshire Constabulary have launched a ``major investigation'', saying there are serious concerns for the boy's life as he needs constant medical care.

Mr Shead said Ashya had undergone “extensive surgery” and his last operation was seven days ago.

“The information we have received from his medical team at Southampton General Hospital is that he must continue to be fed via a tube by someone with the relevant medical training,” he said.

“If he doesn’t receive urgent medical care, or the wrong treatment is given, his condition will become life-threatening.”

Mr Shead said the six-and-a-half-hour gap between Ashya being taken from hospital and police being called is “something we need to look at and needs to be considered further down the line”.

Ashya’s parents boarded a cross-Channel ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg at 4pm yesterday with his six siblings and arrived in France at 8pm local time, police have said.

The family, who live in St David’s Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, are travelling in a grey-coloured Hyundai I800 Style CRDI, registration KP60 HWK, and are believed to be still in France.

Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy, he cannot communicate verbally and is immobile, a police spokesman said.

Hampshire Constabulary said the force was working with its counterparts in France to locate the family “as soon as possible”.

Appealing directly to the family, Mr Shead said: “Our message to you is 'please take Ashya to the nearest hospital immediately'.

“We understand this must be an awful time for you but the most important thing is to get the proper medical care for Ashya.

“Please work with us to provide Ashya that care.”

Mr Shead said police were keeping “an open mind” about the parents’ motive for taking their son from hospital.

“It’s irrelevant at this point in time,” he said. “The most important thing is to actually locate Ashya. There is a five-year-old’s life at stake here.”

Mr Shead said police were not aware of any previous attempts by Ashya’s parents to remove him from hospital and officers had not had previous contact with the family.

Ashya’s older brother Naveed describes himself as a Jehovah’s Witness on social networking site Instagram.

Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.

But Mr Shead said the family’s religious beliefs were “irrelevant” at this point and refused to comment on whether they were Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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