Anger grows over East Midlands ambulance closure plan

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition in Northamptonshire opposing plans to cut the number of ambulance stations in the East Midlands.

The proposals, put forward by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), would see the number of stations in the region reduced from 70 to 10 "hubs".

EMAS said those hubs would be bigger and provide a better service.

But a petition against them in Rushden has attracted the 1,000 signatures and another one is circulating in Daventry.

Wendy Randall, a Labour councillor on Daventry district council, said: "There are so many problems linked to these plans, 10 ambulance stations across the whole of the east just isn't enough.

"The petition in Rushden has had a lot of support and I want to build on that in Daventry by taking it online.

"I don't think people realise what is being discussed here.

"There is no way they would be able to provide a good service with so few stations."

They intend to present the petition to EMAS before the final plans are drafted in July.

However Phil Milligan, chief executive of EMAS, defended the plans saying the hub stations would be "bigger" and would "provide a better service."