A Tenby actor who is more than familiar with A and E waiting rooms than most, having featured in a long-running BBC TV hospital drama for a number of years, has urged locals to keep fighting to keep the town's Minor Injuries Unit, or risk losing it.

Charles Dale, who has played the hospital porter character Big Mac on the popular programme Casualty since 2007, has this week shown his support for Tenby Cottage Hosiptal's MIU, having made a trip there himself yesterday (Thursday) morning, following a sporting injury while playing a charity cricket match up in London.

"It seems some people think it's already closed, in fact to be honest, I did too, so I rang ahead to check just in case," said Charles.

"I went in, waited 20 minutes and it turned out that it was only ligament damage to my ankle and not a break, so I was patched up straight away. The staff were great and it's an absolutely brilliant facility that we have got to use and must not lose," he continued.

The Hywel Dda Health Board have outlined plans in recent months to continue with proposals to close the Tenby MIU and transfer its services to local GPs, as part of proposed changes for health services in West Wales.

However, the Hywel Dda Community Health Council recently confirmed that it has again referred its outstanding concerns upon the Local Health Board's proposals to the new Health Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, following recent discussions with the board.

"One of the nurses who attended to me even said that a lot of local people think that the MIU facility in Tenby is already closed, but that's definitely not the case and we must fight to keep it," added Charles.