I AM a war widow, pushing 75 years, rather disabled with the most questionable health requiring medical attention.

I am incensed with anger over the high handed decision to close Frenchay Hospital without as much as a by your leave from the 30,000 odd thousand in Yate plus many more in the surrounding areas.

This can only be the result of ignorance, high handed behaviour in toto or sheer arrogance.

I get £32 of pensioners' tokens per year. It costs £15 from Yate to Frenchay by taxi. How much more is it going to cost to go to Southmead?

Are the people in this Southmead cabal prepared to pay? The Ring and Ride Scheme operates minimally and not always to consultants' wishes. What happens if on the longer journey to Southmead an oldie is taken ill. What is the Health and Safety Act for?

What about the monies already spent at Frenchay in the new buildings as well as the helicopter pad?

Parking at Southmead is well known to be even worse than at Frenchay. If a multi-storey car park had been built at Frenchay years ago, as was suggested by a senior consultant, there would be no parking problem, would there?

The authorities have no right to over ride the wishes of the thousands of people in this area to suit someone's idea of a "grand" plan which, frankly, smacks of downright stupidity.

Frenchay Hospital, as it stands, must be kept open as it stands for the sake of us thousands who would NEVER be able to get to Southmead.

H M Peel (Mrs) Blakney Mills, Yate