Two best friends were reunited in a touching moment when they both moved into the same nursing home.

Audrey Young, 93, and Fred Gumn, 96, lived next door to each other in the Over Wallop for many years before Audrey moved into Winton House in 2020. Thanks to the Covid pandemic, the pair were unable to see each other for over a year until Fred also made the move.

Naomi Cornelius-Reid, managing director of the Amesbury Abbey Group, which runs Winton House, said: "The moment they saw each other again was so unbelievably heart-warming.

“We managed to capture it on film and if ever the phrase a picture speaks a thousand words were true, it is now.

“The moment they first set eyes on each other after so long was disbelief and pure joy. It was just completely beautiful.”

Fred and Audrey met while living as neighbours in the village, and spent a lot of time socialising in their Over Wallop homes. However, they had been unable to see each other for several years more recently as they were affected by ill health.

The pandemic threw another spanner in the works, and when Audrey left to move into Winton House, in Nether Wallop, in 2020, it looked like it would be the end of their friendship.

However, Fred made the move into Winton this year, where he was reunited with his best pal. The pair now hope to spend more time together under the same roof.

Winton Care Home specialises in nursing care for the elderly, especially those that need extra support for dementia care. It can house up to 36 residents at one time.

At the time of its last inspection in 2018, it was rated as Good overall by the CQC. However, it was deemed to require improvement in the area of safety, with notes made regarding the administration of some medications and managing risk.