AS A newspaper we are used to receiving letters, but rarely are they as passionate and carefully written as these.

As part of a persuasive writing topic, these Year 6 pupils at Millbrook Primary School, Grove, wrote extremely persuasive letters to their local paper and the Mayor of Wantage calling for their hospital to be saved.

The 12 inpatient beds at Wantage Community Hospital were closed last summer over fears of a Legionella outbreak in the water, but many in the town fear they will never be reopened as a major shake-up of health services in Oxfordshire aims to 'streamline' and save money.

These ten and 11-year-olds hoped by writing from the heart they could persuade health bosses to open their hearts to the community.

Pupil Molly Blackwell wrote: "If you close down Wantage hospital you will have relocated people from their work, workers won't get paid and that means no presents on Christmas."

Georgia Durban also raised concerns about redundancies but went on: "Other than Wantage hospital there is only Abingdon hospital: Wantage is hospital is in proximity to many homes, sports centres, swimming pools, schools and gyms."

Dominic Bilverstone added: "It is outrageous that the NHS is closing Wantage hospital... I know that we as a community can pull together and raise a whole heap of money for beds."

In total, 58 children from both Year 6 classes wrote letters with the help of their teachers Myfanwy Jones, Elaine Butler and deputy headteacher Richard Baish.

Mr Baish said: "We were looking for a persuasive writing topic, and we knew this would be close to the children's hearts because some of them have relatives who had been in the hospital.

"They were so passionate about it, we knew it was meaningful to them because the writing was of such a high quality."

Mayor of Wantage Steve Trinder said he was deeply impressed by the commitment and depth of feeling the children showed in their area they live.

He added: "Some of them were far better letters than I could write – I suggested maybe Ms Butler could give me lessons."

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust closed the 12 inpatient beds at the Garston Lane hospital last June.

The trust says that it has already set aside the £300,000 needed to replace the plumbing system and solve the Legionella risk,but it does not want to spend the money until it sees the results of the Oxfordshire Big Health and Care Conversation – an ongoing county-wide survey which will determine the future of NHS services here.

Maternity and physiotherapy services are still being run at the hospital and Oxford Health says it is continuing to monitor the water quality monthly.