The Evening Gazette in Middlesbrough is fighting to save part of the area’s heritage with a campaign to halt plans to demolish a former hospital in the area.

Middlesbrough’s historic North Riding Infirmary is currently under threat after proposals to build a supermarket on the site were unveiled.

The Evening Gazette launched the campaign after it received a flood of letters from readers objecting to the plans by supermarket chain Aldi.

Now it is hoping it can help save at least the famous facade of the Victorian building which is earmarked for demolition if planning proposals are given the go-ahead.

Editor Steve Dyson said: “Never before had we had so many letters in such a short period of time on one subject.

“Within three days of the plans being announced we had had 60 people writing in with letters of complaint, without us asking for them.

“When I saw the response I knew it was a winner and we quickly launched the campaign.”

The newspaper has been following the issue closely and helped channel the concern of readers by organising a public meeting which was chaired by editor Steve.

He said: “We wrote back personally to everyone who had written in on the subject to invite them to the meeting and we had about 100 people there.

“We have asked all those who attended the meeting to write to the planning office with specific objections and have also launched a petition and asked everyone to get at least 20 signatures each.

“Every day we have been receiving more letters and we’re going to make sure that the building is not knocked down.”

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