Moment anti-Covid lockdown activist who filmed ’empty’ hospital wards is arrested in her dressing gown

THIS is the moment an anti-lockdown activist who filmed “empty” hospital wards is arrested in her dressing gown.

Debbie Hicks had walked around Gloucester Royal Hospital on Monday, falsely claiming that no patients were being treated for Covid.

She was arrested by cops just a day later at her home in Stroud on suspicion of a public order offence.

During the video she shared, Hicks wildly claimed the hospital had been “shut down”.

She claimed: “Where are all the people dying and where is the mutant virus? I can’t see the evidence and neither can the public watching. We’ve been robbed of Christmas for this.”

Gloucester Royal Hospital strongly refuted those false claims, saying the facility was “extremely busy”.

The hospital said Hicks’ filming had upset people in emergency wards.

Local MP Siobham Baillie slammed Hicks for her video.

Ms Baillie said: “It’s appalling that our Gloucestershire Hospital Trust had to spend their precious time during this difficult pandemic defending themselves against films on social media that were wrongly claiming the hospital is empty.”

NHS bosses say there were more than 200 Covid patients in Gloucester Royal Hospital while Hicks was filming.

The public is not permitted to film inside hospitals without permission.

HARSH WORDS

During the video, Hicks lashed out at an NHS worker.

Hicks said: “You shouldn’t be asking me about that. It’s none of your business.

“Two stupid women asking why I’m not wearing a face covering. I’m not in the mood for this bulls**t today.”

Her husband filmed her arrest on Tuesday, and Hicks shared the video after she was bailed from jail yesterday.

Hicks – who has been pictured with Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-lockdown brother Piers – stood for Labour during local elections in 2017.

Piers Corbyn shared the video of Hicks arrest, writing: “Fascism”.

A Gloucester Royal Hospital spokesman said: “Our hospitals are and remain extremely busy and colleagues at both our hospitals have been working hard throughout the festive period to care for our patients.

“Contrary to what you may have seen through ‘secret filming’ on Facebook, our hospitals are and remain extremely busy.

“We are currently caring for more than 200 patients with COVID-19, including many who require treatment in our critical care departments and a further 500-plus non-COVID patients.

“Filming patients who are waiting in A&E without their consent is both intrusive and upsetting as maintaining patient confidentiality is key to our hospitals being a safe space for you to receive the care you need.

“We cannot stress highly enough how important it is to continue to follow hands-face-space guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the most vulnerable in our community in Gloucestershire.”