Covid: Conspiracy theorist barred from hospitals after filming

A woman has been barred from several hospitals after filming inside them and posting footage online.

Hampshire Constabulary and Sussex Police have issued the 30-year-old from Fareham with a Community Protection Notice (CPN).

It means she cannot turn up at the hospitals in those counties without an appointment or medical emergency.

The woman had posted videos on social media of empty corridors in hospitals, claiming there was no pandemic.

Dorset Police said it was also carrying out an investigation after an incident at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Sunday evening.

It said a woman was "acting suspiciously" and filming inside.

CPNs are used by police as punishment for antisocial behaviour. Breaching them is a criminal offence.

The woman was previously issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice by Hampshire Constabulary following posts referring to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

It said the posts on Facebook had caused "angst in the community".

A spokesman from Hampshire police said: "The CPN is designed to prevent unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative impact on the local community's quality of life."

He said it related to a "suspicious incident where an individual attempted to video staff and patients" at the same hospital on Sunday.

Other videos relate to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex.

Ch Insp Jon Carter of Sussex Police said: "There are a variety of tactics of dealing with this kind of unacceptable behaviour.

"We are working together with Hampshire Constabulary to ensure the best avenues to deter this behaviour from continuing are taken."

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust said false information was causing "upset and distress" to staff, after a similar post was uploaded about Southampton General Hospital.

NHS managers have pointed out that because of the way healthcare trusts have reorganised hospitals to separate Covid patients from others and cancelling non-urgent care to free up capacity, some parts of hospital buildings would look empty.

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