Health bosses think it is efficient to downgrade the accident and emergency department at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath so that many casualties go to Brighton instead.

But that's not the way people living in Mid Sussex see it, as they will discover. The proposal to leave the Princess Royal with only an emergency treatment centre has caused outrage.

There is a real risk that lives will be lost as ambulances carrying gravely injured people fight their way through traffic and add many miles to their journeys.

Anyone who has already been to the Royal Sussex County Hospital knows it can barely cope with the demands put on it now, let alone increase its load.

Crawley is losing its A&E department. It cannot be sensible to downgrade another department at this time.

That's why the Argus is launching a petition today to save the A&E department at the Princess Royal.

Many people - from Dame Vera Lynn and Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames to those whose lives have been saved at the Princess Royal - are against this change.

The change may look good on paper, but to hospital patients, the proposal is crazy. If thousands of people sign our petition, health chiefs should have the courage to admit they were wrong and ditch their plan.

Market forces There's room for a compromise in the mess in Brighton over a market on the prom near the West Pier.

Brighton and Hove Council is right to protect the interests of nearby traders who have contributed towards the renovation of the seafront.

But the market adds colour to the area. It is popular and, when controlled by the West Pier Trust, helps towards the renovation of the pier.

The present unregulated market is becoming a shambles. Councillors should approve part of a planning application just made by the trust.

This would allow a smaller market, regulated by the trust itself, to be held on the deck of the pier rather than down below.

Love him tender Ivor Potter certainly made an impression when he serenaded people in the heart of Brighton, impersonating Elvis Presley.

The 27-year-old trainee actor was promoting his next concert as the King of Rock 'n' Roll at the Komedia on August 30 and none of them found it too much.

So don't be cruel - go along to Gardner Street in Brighton and help Ivor and his fans get all shook up.