London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 14, 2026

Woman charged after ‘filming inside hospital claiming pandemic is a lie’

Woman charged after ‘filming inside hospital claiming pandemic is a lie’

A woman who reportedly filmed inside a hospital in a bid to prove the coronavirus crisis is ‘all a lie’ has been charged with a public order offence.

Debbie Hicks, 46, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was arrested in her dressing gown at home on December 29, a day after allegedly walking around Gloucestershire Royal Hospital saying wards were ‘shut down’ and it was ‘completely dead’.

The hospital issued a response to the clip last month insisting wards were ‘extremely busy’ caring for more than 200 Covid-19 patients.

The eight-minute video was filmed on December 28, shortly after the area was moved into tier three.

It allegedly shows Hicks walking the hospital corridors saying: ‘We’ve been put into tier three for this? It’s a disgrace. I’ve seen less than 20 people.

‘It’s completely dead in an empty hospital with wards shut down and the lights off. 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.’

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital hit back at the time to say more than 200 patients were being treated on its coronavirus wards.

A statement from Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We are currently caring for more than 200 patients with Covid-19.

‘This includes many who require treatment in our critical care departments and a further 500-plus non-Covid patients who need our care and expertise.’

Local MP Siobhan Baillie said it was ‘appalling’ that hospital staff ‘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’.

Hicks has been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, under Section 5 of the Public Order Act and is due to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court om March 30.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: ‘The charge relates to an incident at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Monday December 28.’

Footage of her arrest was also later posted on social media.

Hicks was also arrested in Parliament Square on January 6 after attending an anti-vaccine protest.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Royal Navy Takes Part in Trooping the Colour for the First Time in 350 Years
Think Tank Warns Labour's European Union Reset Could Carry Significant Economic Costs
UK Semiconductor Centre and Japan's Rapidus Forge Advanced Chip Manufacturing Partnership
UK and Japan Launch Offshore Wind Compact Backed by £9 Billion in Investment
Starmer and Trump Discuss Iran Peace Efforts and Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
United Kingdom and Japan Sign £18 Billion Investment Partnership Focused on Clean Energy and Advanced Technology
Barclays Moves to Acquire GoHenry in Bid to Expand Youth-Focused Fintech Services
UK Lupus Patients Show Remission in NHS Genetic Therapy Trial
London Clean Air Zones Linked to Fewer Emergency Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Illness
UK World Cup Scheduling Research Suggests Energy Bill Savings From Off-Peak Usage
UK Economic Anxiety Rises Among Young People Over Long-Term Job Prospects
NHS Expands Meningitis B Vaccination Programme for School Leavers and New Students
London Ultra-Low Emission Zone Linked to Drop in Emergency Respiratory Hospital Admissions
Derbyshire Police Officer Investigated Over Alleged Use of AI-Generated Evidence in Case Files
UK Parents Back Proposed Under-16 Social Media Ban as Online Safety Concerns Grow
Four Palestine Action Activists Jailed Over Sabotage Attack on Israeli-Linked Arms Facility
Barclays to Acquire GoHenry in Push to Expand Digital Banking for Children and Teenagers
UK Government Reaffirms Defence Spending Commitment Amid Cabinet Pressure and Political Disputes
Belfast Unrest Prompts Security Review as Paramilitary Activity Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny
SpaceX IPO Pushes Elon Musk to Become World’s First Trillionaire After Record Valuation Surge
United States and Iran Near Landmark Peace Framework as Negotiations Reach Final Stages
UK Competition Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Family Seating Charges
Imperial College Study Links London Emissions Charges to Lower Hospital Admissions
Scottish First Minister Launches US Trade Initiative Ahead of World Cup Match in Boston
Fifteen Million Workers Gain Expanded Sick Pay Rights Under UK Reforms
British Retail Investors Secure Record Participation in SpaceX Share Offering
Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin Coordinate Response to Northern Ireland Violence
NHS Prepares for Major Disruption as Resident Doctors Announce Four-Day Strike
Bank of England Expected to Hold Rates as Energy Costs Complicate Inflation Outlook
Britain Moves to Ban Under-16s From High-Risk Social Media Platforms and AI Chatbots
UK Economy Contracts as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Growth
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute With Treasury
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis After Senior Cabinet Resignations
NHS Trust Secures Funding for AI Tool to Detect Heart Failure Earlier
Government Unveils £4.5 Billion Investment Plan for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Nationwide Reports UK House Prices Falling as Borrowing Costs Remain Elevated
Centre for Social Justice Says Two Million Britons Are Using Illegal Loan Sharks
UK Carmakers Warn EU Local Content Rules Could Damage British Manufacturing
UK Government Imposes Emergency Ban on Seven Potent Synthetic Opioids
Royal Navy Completes Major North Atlantic Anti-Submarine Exercise Off Norway
NHS Figures Show Nearly 3,000 Patients a Day Receiving Care in Hospital Corridors
CBI Cuts UK Growth Forecast as Middle East Tensions Drive Inflation Risks Higher
Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary Following Major Government Reshuffle
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
×