More than 11,000 people have signed a petition to save Bishop Auckland hospital's accident and emergency department in a campaign organised by the small independent weekly, the Wear Valley Mercury. Editor Adrian Braddy said: "One in five of the population have now signed our petition, which is an extraordinary show of support."
The campaign has been so successful that established rival papers - the Northern Echo and the Wear Valley Advertiser - have found it necessary to report on it. But they have yet to mention the Mercury by name. Dogs will be dogs, eh?
