THE baby son of Gillingham Football Club chairman Paul Scally and his partner Sara has lost his fight for life.

Sixteen-week-old Elliott Scally died in his parents' arms at the Demelza House children's hospice near Sittingbourne at the weekend.

Elliott had been transferred to the hospice from Guy's Hospital, London, where he had undergone surgery for a rare heart disorder, towards the end of last week. Gillingham supporters were given news of the tragedy on the club's website.

The decision to move the baby was made after doctors at the London hospital told Mr Scally and Sara there was nothing more they could do to save Elliott.

Elliott was born at Maidstone Hospital on April 3. But a few weeks later he became ill and he was taken first to a hospital in Leeds and then to Guy's where he underwent surgery on two main arteries serving the heart.

Initally the operation appeared to have been successful, but checks carried out a fortnight later revealed this was not the case and that there was still an obstruction in one of the arteries.

Surgeons told the devastated couple that Elliott was not strong enough to survive a second operation.

With the parents' consent, medical staff took Elliott off all life-support equipment nearly two weeks ago.

At the time Mr Scally praised the "superb" treatment his son had received from staff at Guy's, adding: "They are as heartbroken as we are that Elliott cannot be saved."

"He has suffered a lot in his short life and we have all agreed that the best course of action now is for him to be taken off the ventilator and allowed to live his last few days and hours with as little distress as possible.

"He has been a brave little fighter and everyone has done their best for him, but Sara and I have accepted the inevitable," he added.

Mr Scally praised all the medical staff involved in the fight to save his son and the staff at Demelza House for the "unstinting care" in the last few days of the baby's life.

The Gills' chairman said he intends responding "positively" to fans who have proposed fund-raising ventures for the hospitals involved and would be announcing details of these in due course.

He has also thanked everyone who sent good wishes by email, fax, letter and phone. "Both Sara and I have found this support very uplifting," he stressed.