YOUNG hospital patients are never alone when it comes to bath time.

Polar bears, penguins and dolphins adorn the bathroom walls of two suites on the children's wards at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, thanks to artist Steve Robson.

Nursery nurse Jan Murphy approached Mr Robson, from Ingleby Barwick, to brighten up the rooms.

He also painted a mural on the main corridor and decorated a treatment room with a hide-and-seek theme.

"Both myself and another nursery nurse knew of Steve's work as he had decorated rooms of friends' children and they were fantastic," said Ms Murphy.

"We really wanted the area to be more child-friendly and we've found the designs are a welcome distraction, particularly for some of the younger children who might be quite distressed when they come in for treatment."

Mr Robson, 43, said: "I'm a traditional signwriter by trade but did my son's room and included the photographs in my portfolio and work took off.

"The bathrooms took four days to do and the circus pictures about a week and a half."