Winterbourne View: Families react after "harrowing" case

Care workers who admitted a total of 38 charges of neglect or abusing patients at a private hospital have been sentenced at Bristol Crown Court.

The 11 workers from Winterbourne View near Bristol were shown pinning down and hitting patients, in a BBC Panorama undercover report shown last year.

Beverley Dawkins from Mencap read a statement on behalf of some of the families of Winterbourne View patients.

It paid tribute to the Panorama team who uncovered the abuse, "Their dedication and determination... has resulted in several, volcanic changes for people with a learning disability".

Ms Dawkins added "Viewing the footage shown in court this week has been distressing and extremely harrowing for the families. The guilty parties were only charged with offences shown on the Panorama programme and it would be naive to believe that this monstrous behaviour had not been continuing for a very long time".