A COVID "denier" who filmed inside a hospital to prove that the "pandemic is all a lie" has been charged with a public order offence.
Debbie Hicks, 46, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was charged by police after being arrested in her dressing gown for filming inside Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
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The Covid "denier" has been bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on March 30.
A spokesperson from the police force said: "The charge relates to an incident at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Monday 28 December."
The 46-year-old has been charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act – meaning she used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour which was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Hicks wandered into the hospital and started filming the "empty" ward in a bid to prove that no one was being treated for Covid.
The film was later shown on social media – and eventually led to her being arrested at her home while she was wearing her dressing gown.
She can be heard in the hospital film saying: "We've been put in Tier 3, 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."
COVID 'DENIER' CHARGED
At one point in the original eight-minute video, Hicks addresses NHS workers.
She said: "You shouldn't be asking me about that," when challenged about not wearing a face mask.
"It's none of your business.
"Two stupid women asking why I'm not wearing a face covering.
"I'm not in the mood for this b******t today."
Less than 24 hours later, Hicks was arrested by two police officers at her home.
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust strongly refuted her claim that the hospital had no Covid-19 patients at the time, and insisted it was "extremely busy".
At the time of the filming, they said more than 200 patients were being treated at the hospital in Covid wards.
Local MP Siobham Baillie also slammed Hicks for her video.
Ms Baillie said: "It's appalling that our Gloucestershire Hospital Trust 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' arrest was also filmed – by her husband – and put on social media.
Hicks has previously been pictured with Jeremy Corbyn's anti-lockdown brother Piers, who is also a climate change skeptic.
Piers Corbyn shared the video of Hicks arrest, writing: "Fascism".
Hicks was also arrested on Parliament Square on January 6 – after attending a coronavirus anti-vaccine protest.
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