Bearing with it: 'First teddy hospital in Cornwall' opens

Angie Davey said her work was about was "treasuring and honouring" memories

A woman from Cornwall has opened what she believes is the county's first hospital for teddy bears.

Seamstress Angie Davey said "patients" in the cuddly toy clinic at her St Dennis home ranged from modern bears to vintage teddies.

Turning a sideline into full-time work to carry out full repairs and restorations, she said damaged areas were also sometimes left as they were.

The most important thing was to honour memories, she said.

Ruth Maximiv (left) recently had a bear repaired

She said: "It's not about the money for me, it's treasuring and honouring the memories tied up in each cherished item that arrives here."

Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, she said that sometimes parts of the damaged toys would be left untouched despite being care-worn.

"Most of the bears, people like to have their memories that are attached to them," she said.

"Sometimes people will say to me - look I know that looks a bit scruffy but I want to keep that because my gran did it."

Ruth Maximiv, from Wadebridge, recently had Mo, her teddy bear of 60 years, repaired.

She said: "A teddy is like a constant - it's just always there. It's like a little friend sat in the corner.

"You often don't take an awful lot of notice but to have him back clean was just fabulous."