A staggering 3,273 people have signed the Journal's petition to save Evesham's Community Hospital in the two weeks since the Battle of Evesham 2005 was launched.

And a further 102 residents have written letters objecting to the proposed £4m cuts announced by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

The campaign to save the town's hospital was launched following the decision by the PCT to close two key wards and transfer orthopaedic services to a private firm in Kidderminster to help make the savings.

Broadway GP Dr Neil Townshend, who is leading the campaign, said: "The public's response to the monstrous proposal to save money by closing wards will make a difference, but only if people respond to the call in their thousands."

And that's just what they've done.

Now the campaign is set to move up another gear. From today, Save Our Hospital car stickers will be available and we want every read to display them in their car windows.

Tomorrow night hundreds of people are expected to attend a mass meeting in the Public Hall in Evesham's Market Square at 7pm.

It has been called to give people more information about the proposed ward closures.

Under the proposals, about half the hospital would shut, with the loss of 38 beds and more than 40 jobs.

The high volume of response came as no surprise to Evesham mayor and chairman of the Friends of the Hospital, Frances Smith.

"The people of Evesham and the surrounding districts are very cross about this," she said.

"They have begun to take this very seriously and the high level of response is a sign of that.".