Ambulance staff abused after false social media pigeon cull claims

NHS staff have received abuse by email and on the phone after false reports about a pigeon cull were posted on social media.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said claims it was going to kill the birds at its Eastern Road station in Portsmouth were "categorically untrue".

It said the messages to staff had added to the pressures they faced while dealing with the pandemic.

Problem pigeons at the site would be dealt with "humanely", the trust added.

Posts shared by animal rights groups claimed there would be a "wildlife slaughter" at the Portsmouth Patient Transport Service base and included email addresses and phone numbers for the trust.

The trust said there had been an increase in the number of pigeons at the site but it was working with bird control experts and Natural England to reduce the level of fouling and nesting.

"The associated health and safety risks posed to our staff are significant, along with the difficulties of ensuring that it does not adversely affect the cleanliness and condition of our patient transport vehicles," SCAS said.

"The option we are considering involves humanely trapping (in cages with space, food and water) and releasing the birds, with netting then installed as a preventative measure to stop them returning."

It said the social media posts, some of which included images of dead pigeons, had resulted in "significant abuse" of staff.

"This is unacceptable and such activity online is irresponsible given the increase in unnecessary communication it has caused at a time of significant pressure across the trust," it added.

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