A RALLY and demonstration to mark the closure of a community hospital will be held on Monday.

Campaigners will show their disapproval at the demise of Bradford on Avon hospital, which will close its doors for the last time next Saturday. The protest, organised by the Bradford on Avon Health Care Project Group and the hospital's League of Friends, will begin at 3pm with a rally at the hospital site.

Campaigner Allan Sturmey, 67, said: "Our first aim is to show our appreciation for all the hospital has done over the last 70 years.

"Secondly we want to send a message loud and clear that closure need not be the end of having NHS-funded beds in Bradford. "We are looking at plans for the future and we have some positive proposals."

Following a march to the town centre there will be a public meeting in Westbury Gardens at 4pm to review proposals by the project group for the continued use of the hospital site for community health and social care.

Signatures will be collected on a petition to be sent to the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, criticising the closure of the hospital and seeking support for the development of the hospital site for health and social care.

Mr Sturmey said: "We want to show Patricia Hewitt that we have in place practical plans that we feel can take us forward in providing health services. "

On Tuesday the petition is also going to be taken to the Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together (CHANT) rally in Westminster. People from a number of towns in west Wiltshire affected by hospital closures plan to attend the rally.