Bird droppings health risk leads to ambulance service requesting licence to remove swallows

They have been nesting in the station's garage, with around 40 birds understood to be on site.

The licence is required due to the protected status which covers swallows.

Some members of staff at the station are understood to be upset at the planned removal of the birds, and the potential for harm to relocated animals – but WMAS has said it had no option in dealing with something which could pose a risk to patients.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said they would be attempting to rehome the birds in the first instance, and has been speaking with a charity about doing so.

He said: "Unfortunately, we have been left with no option but to take this action. We simply cannot have birds nesting in the garage, an area where clinical equipment is cleaned and maintained.

"It is costing upwards of £3,000 a month to keep it clean, money that could be used on patient care.

“Not only do the birds make it an unpleasant place to work, they are causing damage to equipment and there is the risk of their droppings infecting clinical equipment, a matter which has real risks for patients.

“We have obtained a licence from Natural England to remove the birds.

"We will initially attempt to re home them and are grateful to staff who have put us in touch with a charity that has agreed to assist us in doing so.

"We will also put up bird boxes outside the building should the birds come back in the hope that they will not try and nest in the garage again.

“The last thing we want to do is cause harm to the birds, but we cannot continue as we are with the infection risk to patients and the costs that should be invested in patient care.”