A four-year-old boy, who desperately needed a kidney transplant, has died.

Alfie Armstrong of Harptree Drive, Walderslade, had suffered from kidney failure since birth and had been on dialysis since he was five months old.

The St Thomas More RC Primary School reception pupil was taken to hospital with septicaemia seven weeks ago.

The brave tot had endured five operations in six weeks as doctors at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London tried to insert dialysis tubes into his stomach.

His only chance of survival was a kidney transplant and after an appeal dozens of people came forward, but it was too late for the youngster.

Alfie developed a severe infection, but had started to improve, when he suffered a bleed on the brain on Tuesday evening.

He was taken to King’s College Hospital where it was discovered he had an abscess on his brain. Alfie was placed on life support and died on Thursday evening.

His heartbroken grandmother Christine said: “Alfie is at peace now.”

Last week, Christine and husband William Armstrong released a heartbreaking picture of their grandson in hospital, in the hope it would prompt a kidney donor to come forward to save his life.

Mrs Armstrong thanked everyone who had offered to help Alfie and has asked if they will consider helping other children.

“There’s about 16 other children in Alfie’s ward who are in the same position as he was,” she said. “Donations will change their life. They are all Alfie’s friends. They are part of our family.”

Alfie’s family plan to raise money for Beach Ward at the Evelina to say thank you for looking after him. Mrs Armstrong said they hope to raise enough to buy a dialysis chair, or other pieces of equipment for the ward.

She added: “All of the nurses and staff have known Alfie since he was born. They have been brilliant. They tried all they could. They treated him as if he were their own.”