Humber Bridge chiefs have been forced to sit up and listen after being bombarded with nearly 3,000 pleas to axe a planned toll on health.

The Grimsby Telegraph has presented coupons, petitions and letters to bridge master Roger Evans on behalf of its readers.

And now their campaign to drop toll charges for patients travelling to the hospital on the North Bank will be brought up at the board’s next meeting.

But Mr Evans says the final decision would be made by the Government.

“Public policy issues such as which hospitals to send patients to, or whether the tax payer should cover their travel costs, are outside our remit,” he said.

He added: “I believe there is already a Government scheme to pay travel costs for hardship cases.

“We don’t run this scheme and the issue of whether it should be extended to cover all hospital patients is not for the board to decide.”

The toll was raised in April to £2.50 per crossing. Currently, £2 from every payment is taken by the Government to pay off a £350m debt.

Thousands of readers of the Grimsby and Scunthorpe Telegraphs have backed the campaign.

Telegraph editor Peter Moore, said: “This is an issue which affects a large number of people now and will affect many more in months and years to come.

“Being forced to pay a toll of £2.50 every time you cross the bridge is an unfair imposition on people, who in many cases simply cannot afford it but have no alternative than to go to the North Bank for treatment.

“This is a social issue which is of great concern. There is no doubt that action is needed to prevent cases of genuine hardship.”

Coun Tony Gosling, who sits on the bridge board and is lead member for transport at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “I fully support the campaign by the Grimsby Telegraph to remove the high cost these people face when crossing the Humber Bridge.

“This is not only my personal view, but one also shared by the leadership of the council.

“I intend to raise this issue at the next meeting of the Humber Bridge Board. I will be calling on the board to remove the charge.”

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