Reports claim NHS staff were abused by group attending wedding
Car parking at Hammersmith Hospital. Picture: Google Streetview
May 10, 2023
A group of around 50 travellers who took over the car park at Hammersmith Hospital on Monday 1 May have been accused of intimidating staff and leaving the area strewn with litter.
The trust which runs the hospital now reportedly faces a huge bill for a clear up including the removal of an abandoned caravan that was dumped.
The car park at the north side of the hospital is normally used by staff, but they were unable to park there due to around 20 cars and caravans parked up.
The Times newspaper quotes a hospital consultant saying that staff were abused by the travellers and their cars were keyed. It was also alleged that members of the group drove a speed around the car park.
The travellers left on Thursday after they were served an order to leave under the Criminal and Public Order Act. They said that they had been there to attend a wedding. The Times says that Hammersmith and Fulham Council obtained evidence from CCTV cameras of vandalism, theft, intimidation of NHS workers and "serious disorder".
This is the fourth time that a group of travellers have taken up occupation in the hospital’s car parks and management says it has plans to install height restrictions in an attempt to stop them returning.
Andrew Murray, the NHS trust's head of facilities, said, "We apologise to any staff and patients who were impacted by this and are working with the local authority to try prevent a similar situation happening in the future."
The car park was fully cleared after the group’s departure and reopened to staff on Friday.
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