March through town's streets

The march against a threatened downgrading of the A and E department at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester will leave from the London Road car park at 6pm on September 12.

Its route will follow that of the march last summer and go along London Road to the precinct, across the High Street into York Road and end in the Place St Maur.

Some 1,200 people made the occasion in July 2006 the biggest public protest the town has known.

It is hoped by the organisers that the latest march will at least equal that turnout with feelings still running high over the threat to accident and emergency and maternity services at St Richard's.

West Sussex NHS Primary Care Trust has put forward proposals to reduce the the three A and E departments in the county to just one.

One of those behind both marches, town and district councillor Paul Wells, said: 'I would plead with people to turn out just as they did last year. We want as many people as possible on the march.

'It's important we show the primary care trust exactly what we feel about their proposals. We also need to send a message to them about how much we value and support the services we have at St Richard's.'

The march will be followed by a rally in the Place St Maur. It has been timed to precede the PCT's official consultation meeting in Bognor. This will start at 7pm in the neighbouring Regis Centre's Alexandra Theatre. Space will be severely restricted with just 300 seats available for the public.