THREATS to the Devizes Hospital, forcing patients to travel to Chippenham, is part of a larger pattern emerging within the last ten years, the systematic asset stripping of Wiltshire in favour of greater Swindon, which includes Chippenham.

First the Wiltshire Ambulance Service headquarter was built in Chippenham, which is hardly central.

Then, in 1995, the Crown Court moved to its present site in Chippenham, forcing defendants and witnesses from as far as Salisbury to travel to the north of the county.

In 2000 the proposed new stroke unit was to be located in Chippenham, with Devizes denied any satellite stroke unit.

In 2001-02 Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett secondary schools were replaced and a new secondary school built in Chippenham, despite secondary schools in other parts of the county bursting at the seams.

In 2001 came the proposal to shut Trowbridge Magistrates Court, sending all West Wiltshire cases to Chippenham.

In 2002 the proposal came to relocate the new Record Office from Trowbridge to Chippenham.

The new Swindon hospital was built, and then, surprise, surprise, comes the proposal to close Devizes Hospital to save money, with services to be partly centred on Chippenham.

Chippenham, with poor public transport services, is remote geographically from much of Wiltshire yet Wiltshire tax payers are forced to fund facilities for what is effectively greater Swindon.

Vested interests attempt to portray this covert asset stripping unavoidable and inevitable. It is not.

We must fight to keep the services we pay for accessible to all.

C GALE

Devizes