Gosport Tory MP Peter Viggers last night called on Labour to help keep the Gosport hospital open.

Last night, he presented a 16,000-signature petition to the House of Commons.

The petition comes after members of the Save Haslar Taskforce handed out 40,000 copies of a document called Finding A Way Forward in Fareham and Gosport asking the public to sign up.

Mr Viggers said: 'I presented the petition at 10.30pm. I made the point that the feeling in the Gosport area was that the hospital should remain as a facility for local people and provide healthcare for forces personnel.'

Mr Viggers said the petition was handed to the parliamentary clerk who would then pass it on to the Secretary of State for Health.

It is believed Haslar will be declared surplus to requirements when Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust moves the services provided there to the new £256m Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham when it is complete in July 2009.

However supporters are calling for it to be retained as an overspill hospital as well as for the treatment and recovery of servicemen.

Support is also building for a protest march which is set to be held in Gosport next month.

Up to 11,000 people are set to pound the streets in support of the hospital on June 29, according to organiser Christopher Hill.

Mr Hill, of Raleigh Walk, Rowner, said: 'A petition is not enough to save Haslar, we need to take direct action.

'And to save Haslar alone is not enough.

'What people in Gosport want is an A & E so they don't have to go to Queen Alexandra or Southampton Hospital in an emergency.'