Campaigners in west Norfolk will deliver a petition ahead of a meeting later this week calling for a mental health unit to remain open and for services to be retained.

The Fermoy Unit, the in-patient NHS facility for mental health at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, was briefly closed to new admissions in April, but later reopened, albeit with fewer beds.

Last month hundreds of people took part in a protest march through Lynn town centre aimed at safeguarding its future.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the unit, claims there are no plans to axe it.

But Labour party activist Jo Rust said they still believed it was under threat, and added: 'There is a strong groundswell of support for our vital and valued mental health provision provided locally. The community is well aware of proposals to centralise this service, forcing clients to travel to Norwich or Mundesley.

'This is not acceptable and the community will not allow it to happen. The signatures on the petition are a testament to the strength and depth of feeling. We want our mental health services to be provided locally in the Fermoy unit, fully funded and secure, delivered by the NHS.'

Debbie White, the trust's director of operations for Norfolk, said there were still no plans to close the Fermoy unit.

She added: 'It continues to run with 15 beds open for the time being, as we have adequate numbers of staff in place to maintain safe services.

'If demand is greater than our 15-bed capacity, additional patients will be offered services in Mundesley Hospital, in Gimmingham, Hellesdon Hospital, in Norwich, or Northgate Hospital, in Great Yarmouth.

'A project group, comprising CCG representatives and NSFT managers and clinical leads, are continuing to work together and a series of local engagement workshops are being held - the first of which takes place tomorrow.

'The aim is to collectively develop a set of options around mental health in-patient provision in west Norfolk.'

The petition will be delivered at the start of West Norfolk CCG's next governing body meeting in Lynn on Thursday.

The EDP launched its Mental Health Watch campaign last October to fight for better mental health services in the region.

? Do you have a mental health story? Email david.bale2@archant.co.uk