Operations at West Suffolk Hospital are set to resume next week after some were cancelled due to pigeon faeces which fell into the sterile storage room.

At least 25 operations at the hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, were postponed on Monday following the discovery of birds in the ceiling on Friday. 

Their presence in the roof space had caused some faeces to fall through parts of the building's ceiling tiles. 

Pigeons got into the roof space above the theatre's sterile storage roomPigeons got into the roof space above the theatre's sterile storage room (Image: Newsquest)

The theatre's sterile storage room was immediately closed and equipment is currently being re-sterilised.

A spokesman for West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which runs West Suffolk Hospital, said: “As soon as staff became aware of what had happened the sterile storage room was immediately closed.

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"No contaminated equipment has been used and our sterile services team are working hard to re-sterilise all the equipment and deep clean the storage room.

“At no point did the birds enter the sterile storage room or any of our operating theatres."

Pest control workers were called out and the area the birds infiltrated has been closed off to prevent the issue from happening again.

It is hoped normal service can resume from next week. 

The trust spokesman added: “Emergency, cancer and urgent procedures are continuing as normal.

"Whilst we’ve had to postpone some planned procedures, our teams are working hard to minimise the impact on patients and to re-sterilise the equipment and the storage room as soon as possible.

"Sterilised equipment is being prioritised and re-sterilised equipment is being kept in a separate sterile room."