David Ruffley

A top consultant at West Suffolk Hospital and an MP have joined forces to condemn attempts to undermine its services.

The region's Strategic Health Authority is conducting a review into hospitals in the East which could lead to changes and possible closures.

This week John Urquhart, consultant anaesthetist and chairman of the hospital consultants, said that doctors had an 'absolute determination' that the hospital should survive.

He also described as 'reprehensible' any efforts to close hospitals based on the political map of the region.

The Labour Party, in Bury St Edmunds, has been accused of political point scoring, after it called a meeting over the possible closure of middle schools in Suffolk.
Parents are being invited to have their say over the future of middle schools at the meeting on September 21.
Kevin Hind, secretary of the Bury St Edmunds Labour Party, said: "Some people will say that we shouldn't be making this a party political issue, but if our local MPs are not willing to speak out against this matter it is down to local representatives in our party.

Angry train users are demanding urgent answers from under-fire rail bosses after more than a week of disruption on the mainline to London.

Both rail operator One and Network Rail have received severe criticism over the last seven days from passengers who are fed up with delays and poor service.

And the problems continued yesterday morning when a signal failure at Witham held up trains travelling to and from the capital for up to 40 minutes.

THE huge rise in the cost of living in East Anglia can be revealed by the EADT today - as British Gas customers steel themselves for another massive price hike.
The energy company is to increase bills significantly for the second time in 12 months, sparking fears that those on limited and fixed incomes will once again feel the pinch.
But today the full extent of rises in gas, water, electric and council tax bills in Suffolk and Essex over the last three years can be revealed.

Concerned residents in the heart of Bury St Edmunds fear a pub's plans to sell alcohol until 2.30am could lead to disruptive behaviour.
The Queen's Head, in Churchgate Street, wants to extend its hours so it can compete with nearby rival pubs which stay open late.
However, residents say they are already losing sleep as people are noisy and make a mess when they leave the pubs.

A senior member of Suffolk Police Authority has criticised the Government this week, for wasting time, effort and money on an unwanted police merger.
The authority had unanimously opposed plans to merge the Suffolk force with Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.
This week, those plans looked set to be abandoned with Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, quoted as saying: "The necessary financial support has not materialised and the mergers, including voluntary ones, will not take place."

The secret of an extra long life is to live on a Bury St Edmunds estate, a survey has revealed.
Statistics show people living on the Moreton Hall estate can expect to live to the ripe old age of 93.4 years.
The figures released by the National Office of Statistics of England and Wales electoral wards show the average life expectancy at birth for a man is 76 and 81 for women.
Frank Warby, St Edmundsbury mayor and who has lived on Moreton Hall for 24 years, said: "I think these results show the success of how the estate was set out in the 1980s.

A TRADER who claims her store is being targeted by 'steal-to-order' thieves has called on the police to supply pictures of prolific shoplifters.
Bury St Edmunds once had a Shopwatch scheme where traders would meet and discuss various issues and where the police would provide photographs of repeat offenders.
But since the scheme was wound down just over a year ago, traders in the historic market town have not been receiving pictures of known shoplifters.

HOSPITAL campaigners spoke of their disbelief last night after it emerged the Government is preparing to build 50 new community hospitals - at the same time as three in Suffolk face closure.

No word has been heard from Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt since she was asked to intervene in proposals to close Hartismere Hospital in Eye, the Bartlet in Felixstowe and to axe a number of beds at Aldeburgh Hospital.

TONY Blair's shake-up of Britain's welfare system was branded a"dampsquib" by the Tories last night.

The overhaul -published yesterday -will fail to take ONE claimant off incapacity benefit.

The Government has set up instead a £ 300million Pathways To Work scheme to help those on sick benefit find work.

Tory spokesman David Ruffley warned that existing claimants would be "left out in the cold".