MEN, women, and children stood side by side on Sunday to form a human circle around Banbury's Horton Hospital in another massive show of public opposition to cuts in services.

Organisers of the demonstration estimated that more than 2,000 people turned out.

George Parish, chairman of the Save the Horton action group, said: "This has been another great day in the fight to stop the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust removing essential services from the Horton.

"The circle shows just how much people care about their hospital."

The human chain stretched in both directions from the Horton's main entrance in Oxford Road, and encircled the whole site, including the maternity unit.

Former councillor Rosemarie Higham said: "I'm so pleased to see so many people. To have this many protesters will send another strong message to Oxford that they should not meddle with our hospital."

The mass protest follows the rally in People's Park in June when about 5,000 hospital supporters pledged to fight cuts to children's, maternity, and other services, including the closure of the special care baby unit.

Also under threat are emergency operations, gynaecology services, and some laboratory testing.

Kate Spencer, 32, from Chacombe, whose three-year-old daughter Emma, was born at the Horton, is helping to organise the Keep the Horton General campaign.

She said: "The Horton is a big hospital site, so it's quite an achievement to form a ring of hands right round it.

"This is a show of solidarity with the doctors and nurses who work at the Horton because they are all feeling quite miserable at the moment.

"We want to show them that the people of Banbury value them, and want them to be able to work where they want to work. The Horton serves a catchment area of about 180,000 people and many residents think it is fundamental to be able to choose to have your baby at the Horton, and not have to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

"Oxford is a long way from Banbury and residents do not want to have to face a five-hour round trip by bus.

"The maternity and paediatrics services grab the headlines but the gynaecology ward would also be affected and that provides valuable support to women who have suffered miscarriages or ectopic pregnanies.

"My daughter suffered a febrile convulsion when she was one and was treated at the Horton for several days - it would have been much harder if we had been forced to travel to Oxford."

Other public campaigns are to follow.

On Sunday, September 24, David Gibbard, of Bloxham,will lead a walk from the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to the Horton - on and Friday September 29, town mayor John Donaldson is planning a mass march from the Horton to People's Park.

The ORH Trust has extended the consultation period regarding the cuts until October 15, following the intervention of the Oxfordshire health scrutiny committee.