More than 400 people turned out to a heated public meeting over health services in Whitehaven.

New parents, retired midwives and consultants were among those to tackle bosses about controversial proposals to downgrade-consultant led maternity services and paediatrics.

They expressed fears that mums and babies would die if they had to travel to Carlisle in labour. The meeting, organised by Copeland MP Jamie Reed, came as the Government-appointed Success Regime prepares to unveil its preferred options on Monday.

Its boss said Sir Neil McKay stressed that they haven't fully ruled out retaining a 24/7 consultant-led maternity unit at the West Cumberland Hospital.

However he suggested another option would be to have a dedicated maternity ambulance based at Whitehaven to carry out transfers to the Cumberland Infirmary.

His comments were met with angry heckles from residents, some of who shared their personal stories to show how important the existing services are to the people of west Cumbria.

Elizabeth Brough, whose husband Trevor is a retired obstetric consultant who worked in Whitehaven, said that when he took the job they had to promise to live within 10 miles of the hospital so he could get there quickly in an emergency.

She therefore questioned how it was now safe to transfer women 40 miles.

The meeting was held at Whitehaven's United Reformed Church.

Further public meetings, organised by the NHS, will be held across north and west Cumbria as part of the formal 12-week consultation over the reforms - including likely changes to community hospitals - set to launch next week.