MP joins Save South Tyneside Hospital campaigners in town centre fundraising drive

The South Shields Labour MP has backed the campaign since it launched a year ago in response to the downgrading and closure of vital services at the hospital.

Mrs Lewell-Buck joined supporters of the campaign on King Street as they looked to raise funds to help pay for a potential legal challenge against the changes to services.

As part of the fundraising drive, around 10 people with collection buckets were speaking to residents and listening to their concerns regarding the hospital.

Mrs Lewell-Buck said she was pleased with the amount of support people had shown to the campaign.

She said: "It was great and I think raising the debate in Parliament and the coverage in the media has helped to make people more aware of what is happening.

"It has helped mobilize people to join the campaign and we were also raising money to pay for a potential judicial review.

"People were very generous and were putting as much as £20 in to the buckets.

"People know ho vital the hospital is and they are really angry about what has been happening.

"I was speaking to a number of expectant mums who are anxious because they had thought they were going to deliver in South Tyneside.

"Wen were in the town from 11am to 1pm and after wards a group of campaigners went up to Sunderland with the buckets to collect more funds."