THE Gazette as been inundated by messages of support for its campaign to keep urological cancer surgery in Colchester .

Hundreds signed the petition within hours of the Gazette's campaign launch and hundreds more have written letters to the Gazette and its sister paper the Essex County Standard explaining why the y think the service must stay i n Colchester .

Guidelines drawn up by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence say cancer surgery centres should serve a population of at least a million people .

And that means there should onl y be one for urology cancer surgery i n Essex.

John Corr, consultant urologist at Colchester General Hospital, said he believes both Colchester and Southend will bid for it.

But patients who have undergone urology cancer surgery in Colchester, along with their families and friends, are calling for the centre to be based at Colchester General Hospital.

They say the gold standard service must not be lost and they argue it is unreasonable to expect elderly patients, some of whom live in Clacton and Harwich, to go on a 120-mile round trip for surgery in Southend.

Urological surgery affects those with bladder, kidney or prostate cancer.

John Burrell, of Long Road West, Dedham, said: “I have been an outpatient at this unit for nearly four years, attending on a regular basis .

“During this period I have had tw o biopsies and surgery.

“The treatment I received throughout has been absolutely first-class.

“John Corr and his team are magnificent.

“The unit must surely stay a t Colchester.”

Duncan Brown, of Little Horkesley, added: “That either of these two excellent fully functioning staffed centres should be proposed for closure is typical of our number - crunching bureaucracy.

To support the campaign, send us a letter or e-mail us at ecs.news@nqe.com, with your name, address and telephone number, and why you are supporting the campaign. We will hand the letters and e-mails we have received, and petitions, t o NHS bosses.

Petitions and posters are available to download on our website and at newsagents.

To sign our online petition at change.org go to tinyurl.com/qbcj8cm Alternatively, start your own petition by going to www.gazettenews.co.uk/resources/files/34 450. Anyone needing further help, please call the newsroom on 01206 50828