Hospital beds and coffins rolled through Powys town as hundreds protest bed cuts
More than 500 were out in protest
Hundreds have taken to the streets of Welshpool to protest plans to remove hospital beds from across Powys.
On Saturday, hundreds of residents took part in a protest in Welshpool to oppose plans from Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to reduce inpatient beds across the county.
Powys, which has one of the oldest populations in Wales, does not have a general hospital. Instead, 146 beds are located across eight community hospitals.
PTHB say the plans to reduce the number of beds to either 90 or 60 are needed to make the service safe and sustainable, arguing that the current service is difficult to run across such a large area.
The plans could see inpatient wards disappear entirely from Welshpool, Machynlleth, Ystradgynlais and Llanidloes - with the most extreme option meaning Llandrindod Wells could also lose its beds.
The two-site model would leave just Brecon and Newtown with inpatient wards.
On Saturday morning, in a protest organised by Hands Off Welshpool Hospital action group, more than 500 residents marched through the town holding banners and placards and pushing hospital beds containing coffins.
A 14-week public consultation is currently underway, with a decision expected in spring next year.
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