WYRE Forest Birth Centre should not be used a "political football", a furious health chief has said in response to the comments of a Tory MP.

John Rostill, who took the decision to close the facility in September, 2003, after six babies died in less than three years, reacted to shadow minister for health, Chris Grayling's, comments by saying cash never had been - and never would be - a factor in the birth centre's future.

"Quite honestly, I'm not interested in what a politician who hasn't read the report thinks," the chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust told the Shuttle/Times & News.

"This is ridiculous - lots of people have been to Wyre Forest and are writing to me now, saying they support it but this man hasn't even had the courtesy to write to me."

Mr Rostill added he had replied to letters he had received, asking whether the sender had read the report and offering to send them copies if they wanted.

"Cash is not, will not be and never was an issue relating to the closure of the birth centre or its reopening and I don't want it to become a political football," he added, "This is far too serious."

The report by an independent inquiry team, published last November, endorsed Mr Rostill's decision to close the unit less than three weeks after he took up the post of chief executive.