ROMSEY Hospital's birth centre must stay open at all cost. That's the message campaigners are sending the Department of Health in a petition Romsey MP Sandra Gidley will hand to NHS chiefs.

Bryony Douglas from the Choose it or Lose campaign presented Mrs Gidley with the 1,685-name petition at Romsey Hospital on Monday morning.

Around 20 youth mothers and mums-to-be and a dad were present.

Midwifery bosses at the Southampton University Hospitals Trust have been looking at a number of options available to them on the long-term future of maternity care in the Romsey and New Forest areas. One option is closing Romsey and two other birth centres in the New Forest and transferring all midwifery services to a new centre at Ashurst in the New Forest and the public consultation period ends today (Friday).

Mrs Gidley stressed the importance of keeping Romsey Birth Centre open. "What the hospital trust should be doing is encouraging more people to use the birth centre. This is all about keeping services local. There are so many flaws in the consultation document - Modernising Maternity Services -it's unbelievable. It looks as if this was put together with the pre-conceived idea Romsey would close. Romsey Birth Centre must stay open," said Sandra.

Choose it or Lose campaign spokeswoman Mrs Douglas, said: "This is the final push and we have got to make sure the birth centre doesn't close. It has been a very long campaign. Four pregnant mums are here with us today (Monday) to show their support. They want the choice of where they have their babies. At the moment we know mothers' are being turned away from Romsey because the midwives here are having to go to the Princess Anne because of a shortage there. So many people are opposed to Romsey closing. Mums are not going to go all the way to Ashurst. If Romsey closed people would choose the Princes Anne to have their babies not Ashurst. It will be horrendous to get to and it would be away from areas where populations are increasing."

Another young mum, Alison Jones agreed. "It's crucial that Romsey birth centre is kept open. It's a highly valued local facility. I very much hope the consultation team will listen too and taken note of people's views before the decision is made.

Amongst other mums making their views known were Sharon Mills, Katrina Colley and Donna Rawlings.

Donna said: "I am planning to have my baby at home then come to Romsey post-natal care. It will be a shame if Romsey birth centre closed. I chose Romsey because my sister had hers here.

Ampfield's Gail Barker, whose 17-month-old daughter Laura was born at Romsey birth centre said: "Romsey was a wonderful birth experience. It's absolutely vital that Romsey stays open. I believe the NHS is fobbing us off with the consultation process. I believe the decision has already been taken. People must have a choice where they want to give birth. We do not believe that Ashurst would be popular and if it does, people would chose to go to the Princess Anne instead"