The deer entered Derriford Hospital in Plymouth on Monday morning and were caught on camera as they trotted down a corridor, raising concerns about potential security risks.

Despite the surreal scenes, the fallow deer posed no direct danger to the patients, as they remained in the hospital for only three minutes and did not come into contact with anyone.

Following the incident, hospital staff and patients have been urged to be cautious and ensure that doors are securely closed behind them.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust told Plymouth Live: “Two deer managed to get into the corridor on Level 5 in the early hours of Monday morning, the deer were inside for three minutes and were gently encouraged to leave by members of staff.

READ MORE: Public warned not to touch baby deer as fawn dies after being fed the wrong milk

“Cleaning teams were then called to sanitise the corridor. The animals did not and could not go into clinical areas or wards and did not come into any contact with patients.

“Those who live near Derriford will know that deer are no strangers to the surrounding areas. The deer accessed via a door that had been left open and we would remind staff and visitors to please close doors behind them and not to feed the deer as they are wild animals and shouldn’t be encouraged within a busy hospital setting.

“We will be monitoring that entrance and increasing our security patrols at night to ensure the deer do not try and visit again.”

It’s not the first time deer have been pictured in the hospital grounds. One of them, named Lucky, often roams the hospital and nearby industrial estates.

There was also a notable incident when a group of deer were seen strutting confidently down a street in Plymouth.

Mark Heyes of Wild Hart Venison Ltd, speaking to PlymouthLive in 2020, highlighted the problems posed by an overactive deer population.

“At Roborough they are starting to cause issues for traffic and there are probably a lot more deer around than people realise.

“They are all managed but they have one of the biggest impacts on biodiversity of anything we are doing in the countryside.

“They overgraze all the insect food plants in the woodlands and the meadows and that really does limit biodiversity.”

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