Deer spotted roaming the corridors of Derriford Hospital

Two deer have roamed the corridors of Derriford Hospital in surreal scenes during the early hours of this morning (July 24).

The two majestic animals were pictured casually trotting down a hallway, inside what is reported to be the maternity ward.

A spokesperson for the hospital said the deer broke into Level 5 via the back door and were inside the building for 'a few minutes' before workers 'encouraged' them to leave.

Following the incident, staff and patients at the hospital have been urged to shut all doors behind them as wild animals 'should not be encouraged within a busy hospital setting'.

A video on Twitter shows the fallow deer 'running' down a corridor and patients can be heard laughing in the background. One exclaims, "Are they going?".

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: "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.

"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 the deer, named Lucky, is apparently a "regular around there and the industrial estates".