Legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will be joining thousands of other protestors at a march and rally in support of hospital services.

The star, who lives in West Wittering, is expected to be joined by other famous faces including actor Christopher Timothy and astronomer Sir Patrick Moore.

Tomorrow's event is part of a last ditch effort to save St Richard's Hospital in Chichester which is at risk of losing vital services such as accident and emergency and consultant-led maternity.

Controversial proposals have been drawn up by West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) to create one major general hospital in the county.

Under the changes being discussed as part of a public consultation, St Richard's, Worthing Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath are at risk of cuts.

The rally has been organised by the Support St Richard's group and organisers are calling on as many people as possible to turn out on the day and make their feelings known.

Campaigners are due to meet at Chichester College, Westgate Fields, from 10.30am before marching through the city to Priory Park where a rally will start at 11.45am.

The rally will include speeches from local MPs Andrew Tyrie, Nick Gibb and Nick Herbert as well as St Richard's consultant Marjory Greig.

Arundel and South Downs MP Mr Herbert has urged the public to reject all three of the proposals put forward in the hospital consultation and call for acute services to be kept at all three hospitals in the county.

He said: "Supporting one or more of the options proposed by the PCT might seem like the best way to keep a local hospital but it isn't.

"It will simply be counted by the PCT as a vote for downgrading our hospitals. This is a trap and we mustn't fall into it.

"The right option is none of the above. That is the united message we should send, that is the way to get the PCT to consider alternative options and that's the best chance of keeping full A&E services at your local hospital."

Tens of thousands of people across West Sussex have already signed petitions, attended public meetings and held demonstrations in protest.

A recent similar rally in Haywards Heath earlier this month attracted a record breaking crowd of 14,000.

The public consultation ends on November 14.

It is not the first time famous faces have shown their support for hospital services in Sussex.

Over the past year supporters have included Des Lynam in Worthing, Dame Vera Lynn in Mid Sussex and Sir Paul McCartney in Hastings.