A GROUP of schoolchildren became the first people in Basingstoke to watch a live operation through a veterinary surgery's new viewing facility.

Pupils from St Mark's Primary School, Danebury Road, Hatch Warren, visited the Companion Care veterinary surgery to watch vet Jose Messa perform his first operation to an audience.

The surgery, which is situated inside the Pets at Home store at Hatch Warren Retail Park, has set up two viewing windows so that owners can watch their pets' operations.

This is only available at the owner's request, and during non-emergency surgery.

Mr Messa, who has been a vet for nine years, said: "I think there's a lot of mystery about this profession. The animal is taken away from the consulting room, and the owner next sees the animal when it is back to normal, but they don't really know what has happened, or what they are being charged for.

"If everyone knew what equipment we had and what we did, I think people would understand much better."

Last Wednesday, 14 pupils from Year 6 crowded around the two viewing windows to watch Mr Messa perform a spay operation to remove the ovaries from Sooty, a three-year-old black-and-white cat.

Nurses talked the children through the routine procedure, which took about 10 minutes, and although it was not something for the squeamish, it was not gory.

Jo Dale, science co-ordinator at St Mark's, said: "None of the children had ever seen an operation live before, so it was quite exciting for them to observe, especially as some of them have their own pets.

"They are at an age where I think it's a good experience for them. It was a routine operation, and most of them have seen the TV programme Animal Hospital before, so it wasn't such a shock."

She added that the visit linked with the pupils' schoolwork in science, in terms of being aware of parts of the body.

Mr Messa added that pet-owners were also welcome to see behind the scenes at the surgery if their animals needed care.

"There is no reason why you shouldn't know where your pet will be staying, and who will be looking after it," he said.

"It's all about being more transparent."