Protesters came out in force to voice their opposition to proposed changes to a Sussex health service.

Led by former forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, demonstrators marched on the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath to hand over a petition of almost 50,000 signatures.

They vowed the fight would go on if the people in power refused to notice their views.

Dame Vera, who lives near Ditchling, presented the mound of forms, collected by the Argus and the Princess Royal Action Group.

She handed the petition to Professor Michael Whiting, chairman of the Central Sussex Partnership Programme Board.

Mr Whiting stressed that health chiefs were still considering opinions before making any firm proposals, but he insisted their priority was "safe and sustainable" modern health care.

He hinted that smaller communities' services might not be as close at hand in the future as at present.

Mr Whiting said: "It is extremely understandable that people want this quality of safe care as close as possible to their homes.

"However, modern surgery and medicine requires that expertise and treatment for seriously ill people are centred on major units, which cannot be in every single town."

Mr Whiting said most patients needing emergency care would still be treated at the Princess Royal, including those with heart conditions.

He said: "Emergency treatment would be provided for between 70 and 80 per cent of all the people who come here now."

Among the protesters who walked from Franklyn Road to the hospital were Jeremy Gambrill and Burgess Hill councillor Anne Jones, both organisers of the Princess Royal Action Group.

The group is backing the Argus Save Our A&E campaign in calling for suggestions that seriously ill or injured patients needing surgery should be sent to Brighton instead of Haywards Heath be abandoned.

Mr Gambrill said: "Nearly 50,000 people signing the petition forms is a tremendous number. According to the figures in the discussion document, the population being served by the hospital at present is about 150,000, so I think 50,000 supporting us is excellent."

Actor Judy Parfitt, who lives near Burgess Hill, joined the march and said: "It is nonsense to suggest there might not be a major casualty unit between Redhill and Brighton. If necessary, we will fight on."

Children from Harlands Primary School, in Haywards Heath, made posters for the campaigners to carry.

Dame Vera took one into the hospital foyer when she presented the petition.

Mid Sussex councillor Paddy Henry said: "It's an incredible number of signatures.

"To try to get anyone to sign for anything nowadays is hell's own job. But there has been no problem with this one.

"All these people have not just signed the petition on an emotive basis. It has been considered and factual. The proposals have no credibility with the public at all."

Dame Vera said she hoped health managers would give serious thought to the response.

She said: "I think they should take notice of the people that live in this area. It is their lives they are talking about. Getting to Brighton is sometimes horrendous. In the past few days, with all the storms, who knows what might have happened if there had been a serious car crash?"

Mr Whiting said the board was still considering views before making a decision.