Glan Clwyd hospital staff angry at destruction of nests

Jun 25 2008 by David Rutland, Rhyl Visitor

MYSTERY surrounds the fate of endangered birds whose nests were found damaged and destroyed in the busy Ysbyty Glan Clwyd laundry facility.

For decades, swallows have made nests and raised their young in the laundry room at the Bodelwyddan hospital.

But workers were left distraught last week when they came in to find nests in pieces and the baby birds gone.

“These birds have been coming here for 20 years or more and having three chicks a year,” one worker told the Visitor. “They lived at the back of the laundry as they were kind of our pets.

“Whatever happened to them was done overnight. We came in at 7am and saw that two nests had been completely destroyed and one is hanging off the wall.

“Everybody here is really angry because the young birds would have been ready to fly in a few days.

“Somebody, somewhere has done this deliberately.”

Swallows and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.

It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the eggs, young or nest of a swallow whilst it is being built or in use.

Offenders risk fines and prison sentences for every bird, egg or nest destroyed.

The RSPCA has been informed of the incident and specialist wildlife and environment police officers are investigating.

A spokesman for the hospital denied that any of their staff had damaged the nest.

“No-one from the Trust has called in pest control,” the spokesman said.

“It had been noticed this morning that the nests appeared to have been disturbed and the chicks have gone.

“However we do not know what has happened and an investigation is underway. These birds have not disturbed the laundry in any way in the past, given that they are in an area well away from the linen, and in fact we will miss them.”

david.rutland