YORK'S MP Hugh Bayley met some of the animals and birds who help patients at a specialist mental health care unit in the city.

Mr Bayley dropped in to The Retreat on Heslington Road over the weekend, to learn more about the work of the 97-bed not-for-profit centre, which was established to care for people with mental health problems 200 years ago.

Patients at the centre regularly take part in pet therapy sessions, and Mr Bayley met some of the animals in the scheme.

He said: “The provision of high quality mental health services is extremely important. Mental illness can have a devastating and long-term impact on patients and their families and can be difficult to treat. The Retreat has an excellent reputation for the work they do, providing compassionate care to people in a dignified and holistic way, enable people to be rehabilitated so that they can go back out into the world and lead a fulfilling life.

"They are rightly proud of the unique service they provide and I congratulate them on the excellent work they do.”