A campaign group on a mission to save the last remaining mental health ward in Mendip from closure held a demonstration in Shepton Mallet on Friday.

It was the 11th demonstration by the Save Somerset's Community Services Group against the plans to close the St Andrew's ward in Wells, and relocate it to Yeovil.

The campaigners engaged with local residents, handed out leaflets, and performed a piece of street theatre to help raise awareness of the cause.

Campaigner Emma King said, "We had some good news to impart as the closure of the ward has been postponed again! It is now scheduled to occur in 'spring or summer 2023' so we are encouraging people to continue to sign and share the petition – we only need 100 more signatures to reach 4,000! Also, writing to the CCG to let them know that this closure is unacceptable is encouraged.

"Essentially, the campaign aims to save St Andrew's ward from closure and reopen Phoenix ward for proper mental health provision in the Mendip area.

"Although the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) claim that no one is sent out of area for treatment, even if that is true, we know people from Weston who have been sent to Leeds and people from BANES who have been sent to Harrogate.

"Clearly more provision of inpatient mental health care in this area of Somerset would be beneficial to people in these areas too. With the rising cost of fuel and the knowledge that, in some areas of Mendip, one in three people are without a car, it is not acceptable to expect people to make the journey to Yeovil, especially with our insufficient and expensive public transport system.

"People in a mental health ward need their family and friends to visit, and to be able to action their section 17 orders to be allowed out for short periods, in order to recover quickly. Being based in Yeovil will impede their recovery.

"Furthermore, although the CCG will be making savings as a result of this closure (or relocation as they like to describe it), people in the Mendip area will be left picking up the bill, so, not only will vulnerable people be disadvantaged, but we will all be paying more at a time when the cost of living is already hugely outstripping wages.

"As 52 per cent of respondents wanted the ward to remain open, it is the duty of the CCG to keep our ward where we need it and not to move it elsewhere on their own whim, for their own benefit, to a place which is inaccessible for many."