FAIRFIELD Baby Lifeline Society (FBLS) wishes the people of Radcliffe a Happy New Year.

The society is extremely grateful for the overwhelming public support during the campaign against the proposed closure of the children's ward, special care baby unit and maternity services.

We also wish to remind the people of Radcliffe that the proposal has been deferred and not withdrawn and the proposing bodies are still adamant about closing these services at Fairfield Hospital.

The coming year is going to be a historical one for Bury. In September more than 400 people turned up at the public meeting, and in October 3,000 marched in protest. So far around 40,000 signatures have been collected for the petition.

If the proposal remains in place, then in 2005 we hope that the people of the borough will again stand up for their hospital and their town and make their mark on history. We need to double the petition signatures, and if we have to march we need to put on the streets of Bury the largest body of protest this town has ever seen, approaching 10,000 people.

We also hope that the four MPs who supported the campaign this year will still honour their pledge after the general election.

The campaign cannot succeed without the people of the borough, and the people cannot succeed in their wish to retain services at Fairfield without supporting the campaign.

Choose to fight - or lose your right.

Dr. SAID HANY,

chairman, Fairfield Baby

Lifeline Society.