Protest to save 999 control rooms

Staff from the centre will be moved to regional bases

About 100 people protested against the closure of Shropshire's ambulance control centre on Sunday.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is shutting the Shrewsbury base and another near Worcester and moving staff to Brierley Hill and Stafford.

Campaigners fighting the move gathered outside the Shropshire site, in Abbey Foregate, from 1430 GMT.

They claim the decision will mean ambulances being frequently diverted from rural towns to cover urban areas.

'Public support'

But WMAS, which made its decision on Wednesday, said it would phase in the closures with checks to ensure rural areas were not left without emergency vehicles.

Steve Jetley, a former ambulance technician who quit over the controversy, said he was delighted with the turn-out.

"There's 100 people here that have come out on a cold, wet Sunday afternoon. People care, there is so much public support in Shropshire for this," he said.

"We lost a battle, the decision was made and it appears they are going to close it. But we haven't lost the war, not yet."

Shrewsbury and Atcham Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski also took part in the protest.

He said he hoped trade unions would help to fund a judicial review in a bid to stop the closures.