A shop run by elderly volunteers at Lynfield Mount Hospital, Bradford, has been forced to close due to fears of threatening behaviour from patients and a lack of helpers.

The shop - which sold tea, coffee, sweets and crisps to patients - had been open since 1967 and was run by the Lynfield Mount Community Association from a room near the hospital reception.

But claims about the increasingly violent and aggressive nature of patients over the last six months, coupled with a lack of interest from volunteers, has finally forced the association to shut the shop.

Treasurer and secretary of the group Eric McMellon has been involved in the shop for the last 15 years.

He said: "Over the last six months there have been changes in the type of patient. On one occasion, a patient threatened to throw a concrete block through the window of the shop while we were inside. We feel very sad that the shop has had to close."

Other volunteers were worried over claims some patients were smoking drugs near the shop.

"We're all aged between 65 and 77 and we really need between 24 and 25 volunteers," added Mr McMellon.

Senior manager of acute services at the hospital, Des Crowley, said there was no real evidence to support the claims that patients had used threatening behaviour or had been involved in taking drugs.

He said: "There's no real evidence to support the allegations about patients taking drugs and positive action to do something about anything like this is taken as soon as possible.

"The volunteers have given tremendous support to Lynfield Mount."

He added plans were in the pipeline to open a new shop specifically for acute-ward patients when new wards had been completed in the autumn.

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