MORE than 1,000 Westbury people have signed a petition calling for a second doctors' surgery in the town.

The exercise is the latest phase in a campaign to persuade health bosses of the need for the facility.

Campaign organiser and town councillor Charlie Finbow said: "Within four days we had over 1,000 signatures. The One Stop Shop in Queen's Square had more than 300. The petition will run until we have a second protest march at the end of November and then we plan to hand it over to a representative from the Primary Care Trust."

West Wiltshire PCT does not believe Westbury needs a second surgery, but if another practice wanted to establish a branch in the town, it will have to look at their ideas. Town and district councillor Russell Hawker said: "I am aware of a large practice in a nearby town that is interested in looking at setting up a new branch surgery in Westbury, depending on the outcome of their own analysis of the business opportunity."