Nurse struck off for ‘no place for Muslims’ Facebook post after Southport attack
A nurse who wrote on Facebook that there should be "no place" for Muslims in the UK after the Southport attack has been struck off.
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Simon Watts was employed by Mitie, a medical care provider, to work at Norfolk and Suffolk Police Constabulary when he wrote on social media that “this country has so many nasty immigrants wanting to spread hatred and violence”, according to a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal panel judgment.
On his private Facebook account, Mr Watts wrote that the UK was "not a Muslim country" and that he believed "this country is finished due to lack of immigration control".
The post was made on August 2 last year, a few days after the Southport killings and included comments "specifically relating" to the attack, the ruling noted.
Disorder spread across the UK in the wake of the murders amid false rumours posted online that the killer was a Muslim immigrant.
Mr Watts wrote: "This country has so many nasty immigrants wanting to spread hatred and violence towards its countries inhabitants.
"Deport Deport Depot before more bloodshed occurs.
"This is not a Muslim country and there should be no place for them."
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He added: "I am directly looking at the unjust way this country is allowing inhabitants regardless of colour to be rubbished whilst the very cause over the last few attacks have been by immigrants whatever religion who scar this world for an ideology we cannot condone.
"My point is this is not a Muslim country.
"I don’t care what colour or creed you are but I do really get the bump when violence occurs and there is so much PC b******t surrounding it.
"So I’m not embarrassed and believe this country is finished due to the lack of immigration control.
"Why would someone attack young children and then be protected does my head in."
Mr Watts admitted to writing the posts, accepted he should never have written them and acknowledged they could have a negative impact on colleagues and patients, according to the ruling.
However, the panel concluded Mr Watts had used "offensive, discriminatory and racist language which had the potential to incite hatred towards people who were different" to him.
"The panel noted that you made the comments on Facebook after the tragic events of the Southport attack in 2024," it wrote.
"This was a time when community tensions were high and there was a lot of divisive and highly-charged commentary happening on social media."
As an "experienced nurse of 30 years" who has worked with a "vast variety of patients from all backgrounds", Mr Watts’ behaviour was "completely unacceptable and extremely serious", the panel added.
Mr Watts had "deep-seated attitudinal problems which have not been addressed”, the panel said, adding that the nurse had justified a lack of action taken to understand different cultures and beliefs by stating he "did not need to".
The panel said Mr Watt had displayed "limited insight" into the issues raised and there was a 'significant risk" he would repeat his behaviour.
It found that Mr Watt’s actions had brought the nursing profession into disrepute and amounted to serious misconduct.
The panel made an order to strike Mr Watt’s name from the register following an 18-month interim suspension order to cover a potential appeal period.