Joke hospital protest that became the people's fight

The occupation of Stafford Hospital began by accident.

Campaigner Julian Porter, 47, had been making a shelter in the garden with his four-year-old son. Leo really wanted a door on it, Julian says. So I used one of the placards from the hospital protests. It looked great so I took a photo of it and put it on Facebook.

That week Support Stafford Hospital campaigners had their appeal against a decision to turn down their application for a judicial review rejected.

It was a major blow to their campaign to save maternity, intensive care and A&E services.

I wrote Had enough, Im occupying the hospital, says Julian, who runs a climbing centre. It was a wind-up, a joke. The tent was in my back garden.

His phone started ringing. People had turned up at the hospital ready to camp. They said Were with you, Julian, but we cant find you.

Councillor Chris Baron, 67, was among those whod gone to the hospital. I nearly killed Julian, she says. But then I realised that camping was exactly what we needed to do.

Today is Day 20 of the hospital occupation. Over the past three weeks the protest has grown to 30 tents and around 100 people.

When I visited last week, families were sitting under gazebos sharing a Victoria sponge, watching children playing in a paddling pool. Older kids were kicking a football about.

Only the presence of nurses and a couple of patched-up patients stopped it looking like a holiday park.

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Joke hospital protest that became the people's fight