THE public's help is needed during an investigation into the closure of a North-East maternity unit.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has set up a select committee to look into the closure and the public is invited to its first meeting, in Guisborough, tomorrow.

The committee, made up of an all-party group of nine councillors, wants to collate issues raised by the public for a three-month investigation into the closure of Guisborough Maternity Unit.

John Harbour, the council's democratic services manager, said: "The pooling together of these issues will generate the agenda for the select committee.

"We are inviting the South Tees NHS Trust to Wednesday's meeting, but it must be stressed that they will not be there to answer questions. That is not the purpose of this meeting. Committee members only want to gather public views and concerns, as well as their ideas, for a way forward.

"The committee will then organise meetings with specific groups, on a week by week basis, at venues convenient for the people involved. It is hoped that as many of these sessions as possible will also be open for the public to attend."

The committee's brief is to produce a report that will investigate the closure, examine its impact and draw up possible proposals for the way forward.

South Tees NHS Trust said that last Friday's closure of the unit was temporary, but there is no timetable to reopen it.

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