Paramedics have launched a fight against plans to close seven ambulance bases in Oxfordshire.

Members of the union Unison are angry that Oxfordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust bosses want to reduce the existing 10 stations to just three at Banbury, Oxford and Didcot.

The union claims people living in rural areas will suffer, as they will have to wait longer for an ambulance.

But trust chiefs are adamant that the closures would in fact help to improve emergency response times.

�1.6m saving

The current policy of moving crews around the region to well-known accident hot spots would be stepped up - a strategy that has been proven to reduce response times to emergency calls.

The trust also estimates that the closures of the bases, which are in poor condition and badly located, would save �1.6m.

But Unison says it has yet to see evidence on where the savings will be made.

The union is also concerned about the welfare of staff if they are forced to spend more and more time in their vehicles, rather than being able to return to a base.

Its members intend to leaflet homes in west Oxfordshire to highlight their concerns.

The proposal itself is part of a three-month public consultation about the future of the emergency service.

The trust also wants to transform its current headquarters into a training facility.