MORE than 1,500 people stopped traffic on Saturday in a plea to save their local hospital.

Protesters armed with banners and placards marched through Sidcup to Queen Mary's Hospital. Hospital staff joined residents who are angry at the consultation proposals close the hospital's maternity ward and downgrade its A&E department.

Jackie Quinn, 42, is a midwife in Sidcup and her two daughters were born at the hospital.

She said: "It's a very insecure future. It's hard to work through the feeling of where do we go? Some of the midwives have gone but there's still a core of hard-working midwives."

Joined by Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson and Bexley council leader Ian Clement, MP David Evennett presented a petition signed by 8,500 protesters to a Picture of Health board member.

Mr Evennett said: "We need vital services here in Sidcup, We must maintain a proper hospital here. What we want is clinical excellence and we will continue to campaign."

Cllr Clement said: "It doesn't matter what political party you are, we all want the same thing – to save Queen Mary's."