A NEW sensory garden at a treatment centre which cares for thousands of injured police officers every year has been officially opened.

Baroness Harris of Richmond DL officially opened the garden at St Andrews in Harrogate, following an award to the Police Treatment Centres (PTC) charity of £502,000 from fines levied against major banks after the LIBOR rate-rigging scandal.

Altogether the Government has allocated nearly £10m to help support 200,000 emergency services personnel and volunteers, funded through LIBOR fines.

The funding is being focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support – and it is the first time that LIBOR funding has gone to support emergency services personnel.

The opening of the sensory garden today (Thursday, August 6) was attended by other dignitaries including the Mayor of Harrogate Cllr Jim Clark and Mayoress Cllr Shirley Fawcett, and Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Barry Dodd CBE.

A spokesman for the PTC said: “More so now than ever, particularly with the increase in violent crime, the life of a police officer is at best stressful and in many cases very dangerous.

“Although many patients visiting the treatment centre come for physiotherapy, there are a number of patients who need support with stress, anxiety and other such conditions.

“The Catherine Gurney Sensory Garden will provide great value in helping officers to relax during their stay at St Andrews.

“It will act as a quiet area for personal contemplation and will be of great benefit to these individuals’ recovery.”

For more information about the centre, visit thepolicetreatmentcentres.org.