CREWE and Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan pressed the case for Leighton Hospital to be placed on a multi-billion pound hospital building programme in a meeting with Boris Johnson.

Last month hospital chiefs unveiled plans to rebuild up to eighty five percent of the Crewe medical complex's existing buildings as part of an ambitious phased redevelopment (see what it will look like in the video clip above).

Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust is working with a partner on the detail of the rebuild so that a full outline of the scheme can be drafted by February next year.

The government has announced a £3.7 billion hospital building programme by the end of 2030 and eight hospital sites have yet to be chosen for funding.

The local MP has launched a petition calling for Leighton to be among those to be chosen.

He says he took the opportunity to highlight to the Prime Minister how Leighton's original build was designed for a short lifespan when it was completed in the early 1970s and that there was a need to invest heavily in the site to bring it into the 21st century.

"It was great to discuss my campaign with the Prime Minister and make a case for Leighton Hospital. I highlighted the fact that Leighton serves a rapidly growing population with an ageing demographic and was built with materials with a limited life span," he said.

"This building programme is a unique opportunity to make Leighton fit for the future and I would encourage everyone who wants to support Leighton to sign the petition on my website."

You can see the MP's petition here.