Covid: Dogs fill visiting void for Bridgend prisoners

Prisoners who found their visits suspended for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic have been able to fill the void of not seeing loved ones by spending time with the dogs of their prison officers.

Officers at Parc Prison in Bridgend have been taking their pets to work to ease tension among inmates amid fears for prisoners' mental health.

Shirley-Ann Gates, a complex needs support worker, said prisoners are more relaxed when they see her support dog, Bella.

The scheme, run by charity Pets as Therapy, was introduced at Parc at the start of the pandemic and is in place at 24 prisons across the UK.