Concerned residents and campaigners have pledged to continue the battle to save St Helier hospital.

More than one hundred people attended a Keep Our St Helier Hospital (KOSHH) public meeting at Merton Civic Centre in Morden last night.

Doctors and campaign leaders gave speeches to inform residents about the threat to St Helier from NHS cuts and how they can help protect their closest hospital.

Sally Kenny, founder of the Lower Morden Residents group to Save St Helier Hospital, said: "St Helier needs saving. It's more secure than it was but we can't give up and we have to all work together to improve it."

KOSHH is planning a march from Sutton to St Helier Hospital at the end of April, with final arrangements to be confirmed.

The campaign group also intends to create a political party with candidates for the local elections in May campaigning solely to Save St Helier.

Sandra Ash, a KOSHH campaigner from Morden, said: "I fear the threat to the hospital is that they will simply hollow it out from the middle.

"Instead of announcing they are going to close it they will just starve it of commissioning.

"But we need to focus on the fact that the hospital will close because those in power have decided that they want it to."

A controversial clause in the Care Bill voted through by MPs on Tuesday, March 11, gives the health secretary new powers to close local hospitals.

Supporters of the Save St Helier campaign are advised to write to their GP, MP and their council's chair of scrutiny, collect more signatures for the petition and inform neighbours.