TORTOISES and their owners attended a waking-up party.

Anton Vets, in Anton Mill Road, Andover, held the party on Saturday, to give the exotic pets a check-up following waking from hibernation.

And 160 tortoises of eight different species were brought to the clinic.

Vet John Chitty said: “They are useful events because we get the chance to do a health check, check weights and deworm.

We also scan females to check their ovaries because they get a lot of reproductive disease.

“The party works really well because a lot of owners have the chance to meet up and discuss their pets – there’s a lot of tortoise keeping experience being passed on, so ideal for new owners.”

The surgery’s 10th event will be held in October.