PETS received a free health check as a national roadshow made its way to the borough.

Vet Leyla Smithers is touring the country in the PetCheck van, to give check-ups to dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals.

The tour is part of a drive by pet charity the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals to improve the health of household pets.

The van pitched up at Durham Hill Park, Moorside Road, Downham, yesterday, in the latest stop on its nationwide tour.

The charity's senior vet Elaine Pendlebury says the tour aims to get pet owners to think about "vital issues like pet diet and fitness".