RSPB mutiny after manager sacked over unfounded claim he treated Syrian colleague like slave

Bird charity reaches settlement with 72-year-old following row which led to exodus of volunteers and researchers

A “truly devoted” veteran manager of a Northumberland bird nesting island was sacked by the RSPB over a string of unfounded allegations, leading to an exodus of volunteers and researchers.
Dr Paul Morrison, 72, who worked on Coquet Island for 38 years, was shocked when he was suspended and then sacked following claims he had treated his Syrian refugee colleague Dr Ibrahim Alfarwi like a modern-day slave.
Dr Alfarwi later took over from Dr Morrison as manager of the island, with a volunteer claiming the RSPB had wanted to replace a “privileged old English white man” because it fitted with “their diversity agenda”.
Following a lengthy legal battle, the charity settled with Dr Morrison this month and paid him a substantial undisclosed sum.
However, the fallout from the RSPB’s actions has led many Coquet Island volunteers to resign in protest at his treatment.
Conservative peer Lord Ridley, a regular visitor to the island, also said he was “shocked” at the way Dr Morrison had been treated.
Dr Morrison, a life member of the RSPB for 40 years, said: “They embarked on investigating me for a series of what they considered unacceptable behaviours, and when one allegation was disproved, along came the next one.”
In the years before his sacking, the award-winning conservationist oversaw a substantial increase in the breeding population of roseate terns on Coquet Island – which lies off the coast of Amble – through the creation of innovative terraces and nesting boxes.
Volunteers described him as “truly devoted” with an infectious enthusiasm that inspired his team. He was regularly asked to give talks and lectures on his methods and his work was lauded in press releases from the charity.
However, in September 2022 he was called to a meeting with RSPB bosses and told he had been working illegal hours, and was also accused of keeping Dr Alfarwi trapped on the island without a day off in two months.
At the time, the island was battling an outbreak of avian flu, which had already left 5,000 birds dead as volunteers struggled to deal with an “insurmountable” workload. The weather was also challenging, making routine journeys to the mainland difficult.
The RSPB accused Dr Morrison of being “controlling, coercive and manipulative” and said he treated his job like a hobby, “making those around him do a lot of the heavy lifting.”
They also falsely accused him of drinking while operating heavy machinery.
Hilary Brooker-Carey, a volunteer who worked on Coquet Island for more than 30 years before Dr Morrison’s sacking, said she found the accusations “hard to believe”.
“The Coquet team was strong and close and was often referred to as the ‘Coquet family’ because of the time and commitment that Paul put into the team and his work on the island,” she said.
“The accusations … were so obviously untrue. When I heard of the investigation and the severity of it, I decided that I could no longer be a volunteer on Coquet Island. My trust in the RSPB has completely vanished.”
By mid-September 2022, the charity had launched an investigation into working practices on the island – with Dr Morrison saying he would be happy to make any changes that were required.
However, he was suspended for failing to help Dr Alfarwi leave the island at a specified time. By the following January, the RSPB had begun a second disciplinary process against Dr Morrison, claiming he had not followed correct bird flu procedures.
The charity accused Dr Morrison of allowing roseate terns to be handled without the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) in June 2022, when bird flu was taking hold on several Scottish islands.
Dr Morrison argued that the handling happened before bird flu was confirmed on Coquet Island, and said he had stockpiled PPE and followed guidelines and risk assessments.
He also pointed out that Beccy Speight, the head of the RSPB, had visited the island in June 2022 and had been given the appropriate PPE.
Nevertheless, he was sacked in March 2023, leading to many volunteers stepping down. Local researcher Dr Chris Redfern also pulled out after decades of work on the island.
The RSPB also told Northumbria Police they were worried about Dr Morrison’s mental state, pointing out that he was in possession of a gun on Coquet Island for shooting rogue gulls, which prompted armed police to visit him at his home.
Dr Morrison said: “They finally dismissed me on contrived allegations.
“Bird flu wasn’t even confirmed on the island and my manager was so content that he was there the day before Beccy Speight’s visit with senior managers, having a picnic on the jetty, without PPE.
“I had every provision in place for bird flu. But they said I hadn’t changed the risk assessment and it was gross misconduct and it constituted a final written warning.”
Lord Ridley, a former member of the House of Lords, said: “For us Northumbrians, the thriving bird colony on Coquet Island is a very special place: roseate terns breed nowhere else in Britain and Paul Morrison had found ways to increase their numbers fivefold, a remarkable achievement.
“When I was a trustee of the island’s owners, I was able to visit the island annually and I am shocked by the way Paul has been treated. I hope this does not put the island’s wildlife at risk.”
After Dr Morrison was suspended, Dr Alfarwi took over the role. However, footage later emerged of him pursuing and stepping on the tail of a Skua with suspected bird flu, before wringing its neck and bashing its skull against a rock, causing blood to splatter in front of volunteers.
The incident happened in August 2022, when avian flu was rife on the island – but Dr Alfarwi was not wearing PPE.
Despite this, the RSPB acquitted him of any wrongdoing, insinuating that the blame lay with Dr Morrison. Dr Alfarwi said the bird was unwell and said he had been instructed by Dr Morrison to “end its suffering”.
“The bird was quickly and humanely dispatched and there was no widespread blood splatter as alleged. I was not wearing the correct PPE as my manager did not provide this for me,” he told the Daily Express earlier this year.
However, Dr Morrison disputed the account, saying he was not on the island at the time and had instigated a whistleblowing complaint on learning of the incident.
“At no time did I instruct [Dr] Alfarwi to kill this sick skua or any other bird,” he said. “It was grossly irresponsible for him not [to] use the PPE which was available to him.”
A residential volunteer who filmed the incident, but did not wish to be named, said: “We came across a bird looking sick which [Dr Alfarwi] said he had been following for a couple of days, and said: ‘I’m going to kill him.’
“He took the bird and strangled it first like you would a rabbit and then smashed its head against the rocks. He wasn’t wearing any particular protective clothing.”
Speaking about Dr Morrison, the volunteer added: “I’ve never really known anyone who loves his job as much as Paul. Most people loved him. He was extremely successful, even [Dr] Alfarwi was always singing his praises to me, and I think people were jealous.
“I think they thought Paul was getting a bit old and they wanted to replace him and they wanted to be seen as promoting a Syrian refugee rather than a privileged old English white man because it fits their diversity agenda.”
Ms Brooker-Carey said the saga had “tainted” her love for birds and natural history.
“Natural history has been my consuming interest since I was a small child and, in those days, I considered the RSPB as the wildlife organisation to look up to,” she added.
“I had put them on a pedestal from which they have now fallen.”
A spokesman for the RSPB said: “It is correct that this individual no longer works for us. The RSPB takes pride in being an organisation which is committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers are treated fairly and reasonably.
“We will not be making further comment on issues relating to previous members of staff.”