A MOBILITY centres across Hampshire have been closed despite a campaigns to keep them open.

The news comes after Red Cross officials announced that they will be axing 12 of their 21 facilities that provide elderly and disabled people with mobility aids.

Facilities in Totton, Portchester, Ringwood,Gosport, North Baddesley, Hythe and Havant have also ceased operating.

Totton councillor David Harrison backed a petition that was campaigning to keep the centre open.

He said: "The two worst aspects of the closures of so many mobility centres is that people will find it much harder to access the services, involving a lot more inconvenience and travelling time.

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"It's also a really great shame to have lost many of the fantastic volunteers who run the service".

"It's sometimes only when a service is lost that people really appreciate the value of it. I know, from personal experience, that having a Red Cross mobility centre in Totton was a huge help when my elderly parents needed the loan of equipment."

Aaron Stevens, mobility aids manager at the Red Cross, said: “Reducing the number of locations across Hampshire will help us use our resources wisely and allow us to deliver a cost-effective service reaching as many people as possible.

“Inevitably, these changes may cause some inconvenience to members of the public for which we’re very sorry."

Mr Stevens said the Red Cross are exploring other options such as a more developed delivery service.