THE CONSERVATIVE candidate hoping to win David Cameron's former Witney constituency has championed Banbury's Horton General Hospital.

Robert Courts has said full maternity services must be reinstated at the hospital as soon as it is safe to do so.

Massive protests were staged in Banbury last month when NHS bosses agreed to "temporarily" downgrade the consultant-led unit to a midwife-led one.

That means that from today, expectant mothers deemed to be "high risk" will have to travel to the John Radcliffe to give birth.

Mr Courts met with Banbury MP Victoria Prentis this week to discuss the situation.

She told him that many people in the Witney constituency will be affected by the downgrade, and the two politicians agreed that it was "vital" that communities in both North and West Oxfordshire work together to support the retention of services at the Horton.

Mr Courts said: "Safety for mums and babies must come first. That is why I want to see full maternity services reinstated at Horton Hospital as soon as it is safe to do so.

"Victoria has been a dedicated campaigner on this issue, if elected I will work with her and be a strong local voice in Parliament to make the case for maintaining and improving West Oxfordshire's health services."

Ms Prentis added: "I know Robert well and that he already has a strong track record locally.

"I am pleased that Robert is as concerned about the Horton as I am, it is vital that the Banbury and Witney constituencies continue to work together on this.

"Health care across Oxfordshire is an important and emotive subject for many people so I am delighted that we had the opportunity to meet and discuss the issues at hand."