COUNCILLORS are ready to fight to keep a village surgery. Local members of Rossendale Borough Council are concerned that if Stacksteads loses its only GP's surgery, the chemist will also be under threat.

Coun Micheal McShea said he and Coun Dale Connearn planned to save the Stacksteads surgery.

He said a similar closure 25 years ago had devastated the community.

He went on: "The surgery was invited to move into Bacup's Health Centre -- without consultation. It did and left the people of Stacksteads without a vital health service. I am not prepared for this to happen again. We need a surgery in the village".