A new small animals veterinary centre has opened in the heart of Bury St Edmunds.

The Bury St Edmunds Veterinary Centre, off Eastgate Street, has been launched by two Suffolk vets, Dr Carly Day and Dr Jennifer Reason, who have worked in other practices in their home county.

With the support of NatWest Bank the centre has been opened in a former commercial premises at 4, Autopark, which has been completely re-fitted and customised for its new purpose,

Dr Day said they believed a traditional, community-based approach will be key to the success of the practice. They offer standard appointments of 20 minutes, allowing the team to get to know the customer and understand the needs of their pets, she added.

The new practice has created eight jobs.

While Bury St Edmunds Vets will mainly deal with cats and dogs, with Dr Day's own experience and head veterinary nurse Matt Wright's certificate in exotic nursing, they will also welcome the weird and wonderful, from snakes and other reptiles to spiders.

Dr Reason added: "It will be mainly cats and dogs but other small pets too, from rabbits to reptiles.

"We have already had a Harris's hawk come in for a health check."

Dr Day said: "Bury St Edmunds was the ideal spot for us to open our practice. We're both from the area and know the pet-owning community well and we wanted a practice located right in the heart of the community. From cats and dogs to snakes and rabbits, all pets and owners are welcome to come and see us at Bury St Edmunds Vets."