A CHURCH has been transformed into a veterinary practice following £300,000 investment.

Clifton Lodge Veterinary Group has left its home of 40 years in Hardwick Street in Horden, near Peterlee, and moved 250 metres into the former Independent Methodist Church on Cotsford Lane.

The move has increased the size of the practice ten-fold to meet the rise in the number of patients in its care, and will also create up to five new jobs.

The church has been completely renovated and refurbished to create a modern vet’s surgery, with three consulting rooms, a laboratory, dispensary, isolation unit, separate dog and cat wards, x-ray room, sterile theatre, prep room and dental suite.

The new practice is being funded by VetPartners, which also has surgeries in Hartlepool, Sedgefield and Billingham.

Clifton Lodge outgrew its previous site in Horden, which had only one consult room for minor procedures, and was hidden away in a row of domestic houses.

Paul Wilson, who oversaw the project for VetPartners said: “This is going to be a fantastic facility, not only for the team working there, but for clients bringing their pets to the practice.

“It’s currently a busy practice and they do more work there than you would expect on such a small site, so the demand is there as there is a big client base. The move to a bigger site will dramatically increase what the team can do and improve facilities and service.”

The expansion will generate new jobs, with the practice looking to employ two extra veterinary nurses, a full-time and part-time vet and another receptionist.