Former breast cancer patient Christine Robert-Shaw has vowed to fight plans to move the breast care service out of Brighton for as long as she has breath in her body.

Christine, 49, was incensed when she read in The Argus about proposals to transfer the service to Haywards Heath.

On a visit with a relative to the outpatient department of Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, she collected signatures for The Argus petition while she waited.

Within minutes, she had filled the page and continued collecting on paper and photocopies of the form.

She planned to spend today at supermarkets getting more names and addresses of people who want breast cancer services to stay in Brighton and Hove.

The mother-of-three said: "I could have collected signatures over and over again. People want it to stay here.

"I feel very, very strongly about this and I would even stand up at a meeting and speak. We're a city, for goodness' sake. They won't move the unit, not while I have any breath."

Christine was 41 when she discovered she had breast cancer in 1993.

She underwent two major operations and was prescribed the breast cancer-beating drug Tamoxifen, which she took for five years.

All her treatment was carried out at the Nigel Porter Breast Care Unit at the Royal Sussex.

Eight years on, she is clear of the disease.

Christine, of Graham Avenue, Mile Oak, Portslade, said: "When I had to visit the unit, my husband could either drive me and take time off work or there was a bus from Mile Oak which stopped right outside the hospital.

"I don't know if I could have gone all the way to Haywards Heath.

"I think it's disgusting. It might be eight years ago but this brings it all back again.

"I've got my life and I'm really grateful for that and the service must stay here."

Get friends and colleagues to sign The Argus's petition, which appeared in Tuesday's edition and can be found in the Local Issues section of thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk
Photocopy it if you need more space and send it to reporter Karen Hoy at Newsroom, The Argus, Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 8AR.

Alternatively, write to The Chief Executive, West Sussex Health Authority, The Causeway, Goring, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 6BT or email comments to csprojadm@wsha.nhs.uk You can also write to The Friends of the Nigel Porter Unit at 23a Shirley Drive, Hove, BN3 6NQ.

Comments must be in by Friday.

The petition will appear again on Monday