Vets Now, the out-of-hours emergency service, will open its doors in Portsmouth on Monday, October 6.

Based at 251 London Road, North End, the clinic is the 34th to open in the UK, and will provide all-night cover for a number of vet clinics in the Portsmouth area, as well as a clinic open directly to the public.

The service operates 365 days a year and the new Portsmouth clinic will be open to the public between 7pm and 8am during weekdays and at weekends from midday on Saturday through to Monday morning.

Richard Dixon, the managing director of Vets Now, said: 'It is a fact of life that some pets will become ill or have an accident outside of normal veterinary practice hours.

'The purpose of the Vets Now clinic in Portsmouth is to ensure that pets in the area have immediate access to a dedicated team of vets when needed.

'Our team specialises in emergency and critical care medicine.

'The clinic is fully equipped with the latest emergency technology to ensure we can provide a dedicated emergency service.'