NHS managers have declined to attend a public meeting into the closure of a maternity unit.

A meeting to discuss Friday's closure of Guisborough General Hospital's maternity unit will be held tonight.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council organised the discussion after establishing a special committee to examine South Tees NHS Trust's decision to close the unit because of a lack of midwives.

Managers at the trust, who stress they intend to re-open the unit in the future, will not be attending. The trust's chairman, John Foster, said: "We had been invited to the meeting as observers but decided it would be better for us not to attend so there can be a full, frank and open discussion about the temporary closure.

"We want to help, not hinder, the debate and are more than willing to take part in the scrutiny process.

"This is an extremely emotive issue and it was with great reluctance we had to close the unit on Friday. It is an excellent local facility for mothers-to-be, mums and their babies and, again, we must stress it is a temporary measure."

The meeting will be held in the main hall of Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough, at 6.30pm.