North Yorkshire Police have arrested a 29-year-old York man over a death threat aimed at the Darlington nurses.
According to Nursing Times, the man was arrested on Nov. 5, 2026, in connection with a threatening email and social media posts sent to the Darlington Nursing Union. He has been released on conditional police bail while the investigation continues.
The threat
Nursing Times reports the email included an image of a large knife and said: “I’m going to come over to Darlington Nursing Union to murder whoever doesn’t support trans rights. This isn’t a joke. I know the address.”
Christian Concern, which supports the nurses, published a fuller version of that line that also names Darlington Memorial Hospital as the address. Nursing Times also reports Facebook messages to the union that included: “Maybe you should kill yourself lol.”
After the threat came to light around Oct. 30, nurses who were on duty were escorted from the hospital. Seven of the eight Darlington nurses have been unable to return to work since, Nursing Times reported.
What police said
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman told Nursing Times:
> “North Yorkshire Police have arrested a 29-year-old York man in connection with the investigation into a threatening email and social media post. He has been released on conditional police bail to allow further enquiries to be carried out as the investigation continues.”
Christian Concern and Nursing Times report that bail conditions prohibit him from going near Darlington Memorial Hospital or any of the nurses.
Who the Darlington nurses are
The eight nurses work in the day-surgery team at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. In January 2026, an employment tribunal ruled the Trust unlawfully harassed and indirectly discriminated against them by requiring them to share a female changing room with a male colleague who identifies as a woman, Rose Henderson.
Following that case and related disputes, NHS England later updated guidance so single-sex spaces relate to biological sex. The Trust amended its single-sex facilities policy in October 2026.
“We will not be frightened into silence”
Bethany Hutchison, president of the Darlington Nursing Union, told Nursing Times she was relieved about the arrest but shocked it had taken so long.
“Whatever a person’s beliefs, threatening to murder women because they uphold biological reality is utterly unacceptable,” Hutchison said. “We will not be frightened into silence.”
Nursing Times said it had approached the Trust for comment.
Sources
- Nursing Times — “Darlington nurses receive death threat from trans activist,” Nov. 6, 2026
- North Yorkshire Police statement, as quoted by Nursing Times
- Christian Concern — “Man arrested after ‘death threat’ to Darlington Nurses,” Nov. 6, 2026 (extra verified detail, attributed)
Cover photo: Darlington Memorial Hospital at golden hour — generated from a Wikimedia Commons reference by Steven Fruitsmaak (CC BY 3.0). Credit in the post, not on the image.
- uk
- darlington
- nurses
- nhs
- death threat
- single sex