A MUM with five children aged five and under says she does not know what she would do if Dorset County Hospital's children's and baby services were scaled down.

Caroline Pike is mum to five-year-old triplet boys Ben, Edward and William and twin girls, Mollie and Poppy, aged eight months.

She is backing the Echo's campaign to safeguard Kingfisher Ward and SCBU after the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) announced proposals that could see consultants available for just 16 hours a day, with children and babies with serious or long-term illnesses having to be treated in the east of the county.

When the triplets were born at 29-and-a-half weeks, they weighed no more than a bag of sugar each and were all immediately taken to the special baby care unit because of their size.

William spent six months in hospital- three of those at Dorchester SCBU- and had three operations.

Both her girls also spent time in the unit after being born prematurely.

Caroline had to call an ambulance at Christmas time when Mollie became unwell.

"We only had to go to Dorchester, but imagine how long it could have taken if it wasn't there," she said.

"If the service wasn't close, it would have been an absolute nightmare," Caroline, from Litton Cheney, added.

"If it wasn't at Dorchester we would have to go to Yeovil, but Yeovil doesn't have neonatal intensive care."

Caroline is urging everyone to get behind the campaign.

"Maybe people don't think about it until it affects them. No one ever wants to have to use the services but thank goodness they are they. You could have a completely normal pregnancy with no signs, there could be nothing wrong- then all of a sudden your baby could have to go in to SCBU. It turns your whole world upside down, it breaks your heart."

The CCG says no decisions have been made yet. Consultation on the plans starts in August.