MORE than 100 people lined up on Shaldon Bridge on Wednesday evening to protest about a proposed closure of Teignmouth Hospital.

The wards at the Mill Lane hospital have been closed for some time, but specialist outpatient clinics are still operating, saving locals from trips to Torbay Hospital with all its parking problems.

Several officials from the local league of friends joined in the bridge demo, and one of the organisers of the protest declared: ‘We realise the beds will never be brought back, but want to get the message across that there are so many other facilities housed at the hospital.

‘There are proposals by the health authorities to locate all medical facilities under one roof elsewhere in the town, but no suitable site has yet been confirmed, and we fear the town could lose out. We are trying to get across what a valuable asset the hospital is to our community.’