Parents have pledged to support the fight to save threatened casualty services in Mid Sussex.

The Burgess Hill-based Health Users' Group (Hug) visited St Peter's Pre-school Toddler Group at the old village school in Ardingly.

The group is supporting the Argus Save Our A&E campaign and collected signatures for its own petition.

Hug has suggested that not only should the services be maintained but more resources should be put into the hospital.

Parents at the playgroup joined the thousands of people who have signed in opposition to any loss of major casualty services at the hospital.

Hug leader Anne Jones, from Burgess Hill, said: "It was quite a successful visit. The petition is growing, like The Argus one. They were well aware of the situation."

Pyecombe and Plumpton are among the other villages backing the fight.

The next big date for the campaign is Tuesday evening when a meeting is staged in Burgess Hill where NHS bosses will answer questions from the public.

The meeting is in the Martlets Hall starting at 7.30pm and is being organised by Burgess Hill Town Council.

Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames has already taken up the issue with health minister Gisela Stuart. He reported the fierce opposition to the move voiced to NHS bosses at a recent public meeting in Haywards Heath.

The discussion period for suggested changes ends on October 13.

David Gold, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, has suggested money wasted on the struggling Dome might be better spent on improving the situation of both the Princess Royal Hospital, in Haywards Heath, and the Royal Sussex County, at Brighton.

Under the proposed changes, patients who are seriously injured or need an emergency operation would be treated in Brighton instead of Haywards Heath.

People say they fear that patients will die before they reach hospital because of the longer journey. But health chiefs have countered that the changes will give them better care once they reach the Royal Sussex County.