This fight goes on.

That's the message from a group set up six years ago to campaign against the closure of the maternity unit at St Peter's Hospital in Maldon.

Momms (Mums Opposed to Maldon Maternity Shutdown) has successfully fought closure twice in that time.

Now its chairman and guiding force of six years, Nicky Crisp is standing down.

She marked handing over the reins to Amanda Garrett with a £450 cheque presentation to midwives at the unit.

Mrs Crisp said: " My children are now six and four and I felt it was right to hand over to someone with a younger family and planning more children.

"We must keep up the pressure to make sure the unit stays open. When cuts are made in the health service, this is a vunerable area.

"We must stand up and fight for our local unit. St John's at Chelmsford will be closing and the unit transferred to Broomfield. That makes it more important than ever for St Peter's to stay open."

Mrs Garrett, who has a 22-month-old daughter Charlotte and seven-month-old son William, said she saw the future for MOMMS as keeping up its profile and making people aware of the unit.

"The area is expanding with new people moving in all the time. They don't know about St Peter's and that they have the choice to have their babies delivered here in a small, friendly and relaxed unit.

"It is about women being given the choice."

The money from MOMMS will be put towards buying equipment used by midwives operating in the community.

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