If beds are removed from Maryport hospital, visitors would face a four-hour round trip to see relatives in Cockermouth for 20 minutes.

Save Our Bed campaigners wanted to demonstrate the difficulties people without transport would face if the Success Regime's proposals go ahead to remove beds.

The Success Regime say the proposals are not definite, but some of the beds that Maryport could lose could be transferred to Cockermouth.

Around 34 per cent of the population surrounding Maryport hospital have no access to a car or van.

As a result, the campaigners decided to time the trip to Cockermouth for evening visits.

The trip costs £5 for adults and £3 for children with a Day Rider ticket. If no Day Rider ticket is available, the cost for an adult is £10.40.

Campaigners left their houses at about 5.15pm to walk to the bus stop in Maryport and catch the 5.40pm bus.

They then changed buses in Workington as there is no direct Maryport to Cockermouth service to coincide with visiting times.

They arrived in Cockermouth Main Street at 6.45pm.

Campaigners then faced a 15-minute walk from the bus stop to Cockermouth Community Hospital up the hill at Castlegate.

They arrived at Cockermouth Hospital at 7pm.

Visiting time is 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

They had to leave at 7.20pm to make sure they got their connection and walked for 15 minutes back to the bus stop on Cockermouth Main Street.

To ensure that they were able to visit for the full hour, they would need to take an earlier bus which would add another hour to the journey - a total of five hours.

They got the 7.44pm bus from Cockermouth Main Street to Workington.

They had a 30-minute wait in Workington.

They then got the bus from Workington to Maryport getting in to Maryport at 8.40pm.

Campaigners said the journey was long and only those who were relatively fit and healthy would manage the trip and the walk up Castlegate Hill.

Kate Whitmarsh, development officer of Ewarigg Local Trust, which is backing the campaign, said: "Frail or disabled people simply wouldn't manage it."

She said it also took a lot of organisation to work out which buses to get and to find out where the hospital is in Cockermouth and how to get there from Main Street as there are no signs from Main Street.

Mrs Whitmarsh said: "The group were lucky to make the journey in lovely weather but trying to get up and down the hill in Cockermouth in bad weather would be unpleasant or impossible for many."

BLOB On Wednesday, people are being asked to meet at Ewanrigg Community Centre at 6pm. Cars will then drive around the town tying more ribbons.

The railings outside the hospital are full of ribbons which have been tied as a symbol of opposition to the removal of beds. These ribbons are now being found all over Maryport and in surrounding villages.

BLOB Success Regime answer your questions - Page 6