HEALTH watchdogs in north Hampshire have added their opposition to plans for the county's ambulance service to merge with its counterpart in Surrey.

After an ill-tempered public meeting in Alton, Basingstoke and North Hants Community Health Council voted against the move which has been proposed by South East Region NHS bosses.

Hampshire Ambulance Trust board directors have also voted against the merger. But at their meeting, several CHC members said they were uncertain how to vote and, in the end, four voted against the merger and two abstained.

The meeting was given a presentation on the merger by Hampshire Ambulance Service operations' director Gerry Wilkinson.

CHC member Patrick Walsh, from Hartley Wintney, voted against the proposal, saying: "I'm all for modernisation and improving services, but I'm not convinced there is any need for reconfiguration."

He told Mr Wilkinson the ambulance service was clearly inefficient and was only now installing the sort of command and control systems they should have had "years ago".

Mr Wilkinson also had to face criticism from Alton ambulance crew members attending as members of the public.

They were angry about having to standby in Portsmouth and Basingstoke instead of their own town.

CHC chief officer Chris Marsh-Jenks said members of the public could still make their views on the merger known until September 7.

She said the feeling among community health councils across Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, was not in favour of merger.

Anyone wishing to make their views known should contact North and Mid Hants Health Authority on 01256 332288.