Front garden is venue forcouple's growing support

Elsie Bourne has a 4ft-long hospital campaign banner dominating the frontage of her Boxgrove Gardens bungalow. It is topped off by two of the campaign flags.

The publicity material was put up by two Pagham councillors, John Bird and John Doherty, to show their backing for the hospital's fight for survival for its current services.

Mrs Bourne was determined to ensure passers-by were left in no doubt about her feelings towards the Chichester hospital where her husband, Eddie, is being treated for stab wounds.

She said: 'I'm giving out the campaign flags to everyone we know for them to put on their cars. We have to support St Richard's.'

Mr Bourne (67) was moved to Middleton Ward in the hospital on Sunday after five days in the intensive care unit. His condition on Tuesday night was stable.

He is still on oxygen round the clock and was being seen by an ophthalmologist yesterday afternoon in relation to the blood in his right eye. He has also developed an infection which the hospital will treat once it has been identified.

Mr Bourne was injured, as the Observer reported last week, in a knife attack in Langley Gardens on the night of July 2.

He had accompanied a family friend to her home there when the stabbing took place in the cul-de-sac. A police investigation into the incident is ongoing.

He spent four-and-a-half hours in two operations to repair his damaged bowel and a tendon in his left hand. Both arms were also repeatedly slashed. He lost four pints of blood before he arrived at St Richard's.

Mrs Bourne (60) said she and her husband wanted to thank the staff at the hospital as well as their family and friends for their many good wishes, flowers, cards and telephone calls in the past ten days.

'We are also indebted to everyone in the hospital's accident and emergency unit for saving my husband's life,' she said.

Mr Bird said he and Mr Doherty had offered to put up the banner and flags as part of their contribution to the fight against the health service's plans which could see A and E at St Richard's downgraded.

'¢ Motorists can show their support for the St Richard's Hospital campaign by obtaining its car flags from the Bognor Regis Observer office at 14 Station Road, Bognor Regis.