WARNING: This article contains graphic content

A VETERINARY nurse at a multi-million pound pet hospital created by a top TV vet has been sacked after a sick video of an amputated dog’s leg appeared on social media.

Hamilton Specialist Referrals in Cressex business park, High Wycombe, has been forced to fire one of their nurses after she posted the four second-long clip on her Instagram page.

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The state-of-the-art pet hospital is a venture by Michael Hamilton, who has featured on TV shows like The Bionic Vet on BBC One and Channel 4’s Vet on the Hill, and his wife Clare.

Bucks Free Press:

The sickening video clip shows the amputated leg of a dog – with a surgical instrument still attached – being dangled in front of the camera, along with the caption “Leg anyone?”.

The clip was posted on the Instagram page of one of their nurses, Tina Askham, who has now been let go by the vet surgery for breaching their social media policy.

The Bucks Free Press was alerted to the clip by a member of the public, who branded the video “disrespectful and completely disgusting”, adding: “This is a private high class vets in High Wycombe and this operation probably cost the owners of the pet around £7,000.”

Bucks Free Press:

On the pet hospital’s website, it says staff are “dedicated to providing clinical excellence in a caring and friendly environment”.

Clare Hamilton, managing director of Hamilton Specialist Referrals, confirmed that Ms Askham has been dismissed with “immediate effect”.

In a statement, she said: “We are aware that a member of Hamilton Specialist Referrals’ staff recently posted a graphic video onto her personal Instagram profile. The video was quickly removed from the platform and all electronic copies of it have since been deleted.

“This is clearly not acceptable behaviour and the member of staff has since been dismissed with immediate effect.

“We would like to make it clear that this was an isolated incident and was in no way endorsed or sanctioned by HSR. No other members of staff were involved. The hospital and its directors take staff conduct extremely seriously and a full internal investigation has taken place.

“We apologise for any upset caused and have put measures in place to ensure this will not happen again – with an immediate ban on all staff smartphones and tablets in clinical areas. We already have strict internet and social media conduct policies in place and any violation of these will always be treated seriously.

“We pride ourselves in our commitment to patients and delivering world class clinical care. This incident goes totally against our ethos and we have acted swiftly to take decisive remedial action.

“As a direct result of this video, both the ex-member of staff and Hamilton Specialist Referrals have received malicious and threatening digital communications – of which we have informed the police.

“We are now working with the police to assist in their criminal investigations and with this in mind, we are unable to give any further specifics about the incident.”

Ms Askham’s profile on the vet hospital’s website was still visible earlier this week but has now been removed.

The member of public who sent the video to the Bucks Free Press also reported the clip to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

In a statement, a spokesman for the RCVS said they could not confirm or deny if a complaint had been made about an individual veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse “unless and until the complaint is referred to a disciplinary committee hearing.”