REINDEER from a York farm shop visited patients and staff at York Hospital this week.

The reindeer from Wigginton Farm Shop were petted and cooed over by visitors to the hospital on Thursday, and had been brought to the facility by Donna Harper from the shop.

Donna said: "We went to the hospital a couple of years ago just to do something nice at this time of year for the children.

"This year, they phoned and asked if we could do something at the front of the hospital so more people can see and we said yes."

Visitors and staff had photos and stroked the reindeer, named Comet and Blitzen, in return for donations to the Jumbulance Trust.

Donna said: "It's a full-sized coach which is adapted to take terminally and seriously ill people on holiday.

"We raised £167.85 that day, and the children loved it, but the adults seemed to be more excited by it. There are an awful lot of people who just don't believe in reindeer, and think they are mythical so got very excited when they see them."