Many of Kingston's Tories including councillors Nick Kilby, David Cunningham, Dennis Doe have joined a rival Facebook group set up by NHS worker David Johnston called ‘Save Kingston Hospital’ WHATEVER, it’s not closing!!

Their membership of the online group reflects their scepticism about the Liberal Democrat-fronted campaign.

The group has 239 members compared to the 11,283 in the Lib Dem’s ‘Save Kingston Hospital’ Facebook group.

Edward Davey, Kingston and Surbiton MP, said: "We are a bit miffed at what they are doing.

"By trying to say we are not telling the truth they are undermining the campaign and confusing people and that’s not serving the public interest."

But Helen Whateley, Conservative parliamentary prospective candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, said: "Instead of sharing information with us at the beginning and asking us to campaign on a really important cause, he hasn’t.

"The Lib Dem leaflet was a very party political piece of literature, not a cross-party campaign."

And she admitted she works as a management consultant for McKinsey, the company involved in the review, but said she had never worked in Kingston and had not been involved in the review, which was being kept confidential.

Mike Penning, the Conservative shadow health minister, was quizzing Kingston Hospital bosses, with Mrs Whateley and Richmond Park parliamentary candidate Zac Goldsmith as the Comet went to press.