MORE than 150 people took to the streets last night to protest against the possible closure of their hospital.

The protest came after revelations that closing Hartlepool's hospital was one option being considered as part of a region-wide NHS review.

Last night, people carrying placards bearing the words Save Our Hospital took part in a town centre rally.

At present, there is a hospital at Hartlepool and one at Stockton, which between them cover the north Tees and east Durham areas.

In their strategic review, NHS managers on the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority said one option would be to merge the two hospitals on a single site.

The news comes after the University Hospital of Hartlepool's cancer services were transferred to its sister hospital in Stockton.

March organiser John Bloom, 37, said: "People are shocked and others are very, very angry."

The protestors met at York Road Library before marching to Victory Square opposite the Civic Centre. Among the speechmakers was former Hartlepool Mail editor Harry Blackwood, who says he was sacked after political interference from town MP Peter Mandleson.

A spokesman for the NHS Strategic Health Authority said: "We are beginning the process of the review by exploring three possible options for the university hospitals of North Tees and Hartlepool as the basis for discussion and debate in the review.

"These are keeping services at the two hospitals as they are today, reorganising services so that one hospital focuses on emergency care and one on planned care, and a single site providing all services.

"At this early stage of the review, none of these options has been ruled out. Other options could emerge as the review progresses."