By John Edwards MORE than 10,000 Bridlington people have now signed the petition to keep the hospital's cardiac monitoring unit open. Campaigners have said the are "completely overwhelmed" by the response and, with two weeks to go, there are hopes that the final number of signatures could even triple.

Dozens of petition sheets still need to be collected from offices, shops and cafes across Bridlington before the closing date of February 28. The completed sheets will then be taken to 10 Downing Street in London.

Mick Pilling, chairman of the Save Bridlington Hospital camapign group, said: "The final figure could exceed 30,000.

"The overwhelming support we are getting makes the fight worthwhile. Listening to the many stories of how the CMU has saved many lives in Bridlington, many have said they would not be here if it were not for the CMU and the wonderful staff.

"This petition will be the biggest ever. This is the town signing this petition and standing up for its beliefs. There are no holidaymakers here yet so it is the town defending the CMU."

GPs, tourism leaders, councillors, church representatives and Bridlington's MP Greg Knight have all shown their public support for the campaign.

Mr Pilling has arranged to meet Mr Knight next week to discuss the next steps for the campaign, and he is due to meet representatives of Yorkshire Ambulance Service the following week.

He is also considering forming a group to look into the legal consequences of someone dying on the way to Scarborough if the unit at Bridlington is closed, and whether the victim's family could then sue the Trust.

Anyone wanting copies of the petition can contact Mr Pilling on 01262 671926.

He would also like to hear from volunteers who can take copies door-to-door in the West Hill or Havenfield areas of Bridlington.