TWO Gwent assembly members joined the fight to save Chepstow's air training corps, as the squadron tries to stave off closure at the end of the month.

Chepstow ATC is set to be disbanded on September 1 after the Air Cadet Organisation ordered it to close in an effort to save money.

But campaigners have appealed to prime minister David Cameron to stop the closure, and Gwent assembly members Mohammad Asghar and Nick Ramsay have also voiced their concerns to the coalition government.

The Air Cadet Organisation plans to to amalgamate the Chepstow and Caldicot squadrons after the Chepstow cadets' headquarters in Lower Church Street was condemned in August last year due to a sagging roof.

The ACO said the £50,000-£60,000 cost of fixing the building was not viable.

But campaigners say the squadron has been an important part of Chepstow since the 1940s, and there has been no consultation on alternative ways to keep the group going.

Mr Asghar offered his support to the campaigning cadets by writing his own letter to Downing Street which highlighted the ATC's 'proud history' in Chepstow.

He said that it provided a 'vital service' for young people.

He added: "Local residents have proposed that the community could take ownership of the Lower Church Street building and raise money for the necessary repairs themselves. I think this is an excellent example of the 'big society' idea with individuals and communities taking more control over their own destiny".

Monmouth assembly member Nick Ramsay said he had written to the Ministry of Defence in an attempt to make the Air Cadet Organisation reconsider their original decision, and would be asking the Assembly if any further funding could be made available to the squadron.

Campaigners will hear the final decision on the squadron's future on Wednesday.