VILLAGERS have joined forces to back 90 civilian workers fighting to save their jobs under threat from government plans to shut down the Dean Hill munitions base at West Dean.
About 150 residents from West Dean, East Dean and West Tytherley packed into West Dean's village hall on Friday evening to register their protest at the proposal.
Among those attending the public meeting was Salisbury MP Robert Key, who has already taken up the cudgels on behalf of the workers at the threatened base, which stores conventional Royal Navy and RAF weapons in massive underground chambers built deep under Dean Hill.
Mr Key warned villagers and workers that challenging the ministry of defence decision to close Dean Hill in just under two years' time would be a difficult task.
Mr Key, who had already met ministers from the defence department, said it was clear to him that their minds were made up.
He said: "It would be very difficult to get the decision reversed.
"However, we can challenge it, because the MoD is making assumptions without making allowances for anything that has happened since September 11 last year."
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