A mobile chemotherapy unit that will visit Marlborough once a week has been welcomed with open arms by the town.

Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been provided with the state-of-the-art mobile chemotherapy unit by cancer charity Hope for Tomorrow.

It will be at Savernake one day a week and around eight patients a day will benefit.

Mayor Marian Hannaford-Dobson, who is married to fellow Marlborough town councillor Stewart Dobson, is thrilled.

Her first husband, David Hannaford, died of leukemia in 2003. She said: “It’s an absolutely fantastic facility for Marlborough.

“Both myself and Stewart lost our first partners to cancer. I had to take my husband to Southampton and Stewart had to take his wife to Oxford so we know first hand what it’s like to go through that experience.

“It’s difficult to put into words how it feels and to have to travel such long distances during what is already a difficult situation is extremely hard, so to have treatment that comes to you rather than you having to travel for the treatment will make an enormous difference.

“We’re in a tricky position in Marlborough because we’re in between two hospitals, particularly hospitals that specialise in this sort of treatment.

“I was absolutely delighted when I found out about the unit and I’m very pleased that at long last we have a facility like this in Marlborough.”

The official launch of £260,000 unit at will take place on Monday at Swindon’s Great Western Hospital with retired Navy submarine commander Dan Conley cutting the ribbon.

The unit has been named after his late wife, Linda, who died of breast cancer in October last year at the age of 65.

Capt Conley said: “I am truly honoured that the brand new North Wiltshire Mobile Chemotherapy Unit is to be named after my late wife.

“A supporter of Hope for Tomorrow for many years, through Linda’s illness I really came to appreciate the very great benefits of what this charity enables in providing mobile chemotherapy to patients at locations close to their homes.

“It is absolutely wonderful that this new MCU will perpetuate the memory of Linda who as a Wiltshire county councillor worked very hard and enthusiastically in supporting the people of Wiltshire.”

In December 2012 Wiltshire’s first MCU was launched at Savernake Hospital, where it was stationed every Thursday before the areas it visited were changed.

The mobile unit was shared by Great Western Hospital (GWH) and Salisbury Hospital and in April the unit started going to Salisbury five days a week.