Major incident declared as more than 60 homes evacuated in Bristol
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to South Liberty Lane in Ashton Vale on the evening of Tuesday 22 July - with an Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit also in attendance.
The man was arrested and a major incident was declared due to the number of emergency services at the scene.
63 properties in South Liberty Lane, Risdale Road and Swiss Lane have been evacuated - with Ashton Vale Community Centre open to support residents.
South Liberty Lane remains shut - with a precautionary 100m cordon put in place.
In a statement Avon and Somerset Police said it was grateful for the public's patience and understanding and advise the public to avoid the area at this time.
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He was then bringing me more drinks - probably one to three cups of coffee a week. "Since that occasion, I tipped them away in the sink - seeing the sort of substance in the sink - it was different size and quantities each time. At least six times I've seen it - I've not drunk it since that first time." She added: "I remember the first time I saw stuff in the sink - he said, 'Did you notice something in your drink? I noticed something in mine, he said. Maybe that was the first time he did it, and wanted to know if I'd noticed. It tasted salty." One year later, in September 2021, she became suspicious once more after coming across Chapman's foul collection of "specimen pots". The victim shared: "I instantly suspected he had been putting semen in them and transporting them into my drink. I was in shock at that point. I noticed in this trouser pocket what looked like one of those bottles." The next time Chapman offered to make her a coffee, the victim "instantly felt ill", and was left "shaking that he had put something in it". This time, she took a sample of the "gloopy" drink straight to the police. Remembering her nerves, she continued: "I felt very jumpy and worried he would catch me with this cup. I put the cup into a bag and dropped the sample off (to the police)." It tested positive for Chapman's semen. The formerly respected doctor attempted to claim that someone else had put his semen sample in the coffee as a 'prank' (Image: SWNS) Chapman, who trained at the University of Cape Town in his home country of South Africa, was arrested after arriving at work. He was then suspended from his position at the Somerset-based health centre, once the allegations came to light. The former doctor had attempted to claim that the collection of samples was due to a "secret" condition that saw him discharge semen during defecation. Although he acknowledged there were at least 10-12 "collections" a month and 140 collections a year that were not flushed down the toilet, he insisted that his masturbation, including at work, had "nothing to do with pleasure - but a painful necessity." Alleging that another person must have put these in the coffee as a "prank that went horribly wrong", Chapman argued: "I don't know why someone did that with my sample - I don't know why someone did it or why." When quizzed as to why he did not seek help for his issue or why there was no note of this on his medical records, Chapman told the court: "GPs are often really bad at managing themselves. However, this defence was dismissed as "absurd". At the trial, the victim also described how "letchy" Chapman had shown her photographs on his phone of his "erect penis" on at least two occasions. She stated: "I thought (the first time) it was a mistake and he must be really embarrassed. The second time I felt like it was on purpose. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It was not until I had seen the pots that I suspected it was semen in my drink. At times, I refused a coffee, but he would do it anyway." His claim to have a 'secret' medical condition was branded 'absurd' (Image: SWNS) When asked in court about these photos, which were seen by two colleagues, Chapman claimed this was an "accident" and that he'd been "mortified". In her victim impact statement, the victim told the court: "I feel betrayed by him, by his actions. He has made me feel powerless. "The devious and cowardly nature has shocked me. If this was a physical attack, I may have at least had a chance to defend myself. I've had to be open about this to my partner and family, but I often feel alone and that no one quite understands. "I hope in the future I am able to put this all behind me and move on with my life. Though I have to accept that the mental and emotional trauma I have suffered throughout this will always remain with me in some way." Back in 2023, vile Chapman was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court 2023 after being found guilty of one count of engaging in sexual activity without consent for making the victim "ingest his semen" on September 13, 2021. Jurors found the disgraced doctor not guilty of a second count of the same charge, which was allegedly committed between September 12, 2020, and September 12, 2021. This was during the period when the victim "thought" there might be something wrong with the coffee, but no official testing had taken place. It was determined that there had been 'no evidence of apology, reflection, insight or remediation from Dr Chapman in respect of his conviction' (Image: SWNS) Chapman, previously regarded as an experienced and well-respected medic, has now been struck off after his conduct was heard at a tribunal by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), held between June 23 and July 8, 2025. The tribunal looked at allegations that Chapman had, on one or more occasions between the years 2016 and 2021, engaged in conduct against Ms A - 'that constituted sexual harassment, was sexually motivated and was an abuse of his senior position.' The tribunal also examined allegations that, in 2021, Chapman had given Ms B a cup of coffee that contained semen, the charge he was convicted of. It was asserted that there had been 'no evidence of apology, reflection, insight or remediation from Dr Chapman in respect of his conviction.' In reference to the conduct against Ms. A, the tribunal "found proved" that Chapman had shown the victim images of an erect penis. It was "found proved" that he had shown her pictures of "unclothed women and/or that were pornographic in nature". It was also accepted that Chapman had asked Ms A if she'd found him on a dating app, before asking why she had not found him, and suggesting she should "look for [him]" on the app. In approximately 2020, it was "found proved" that Chapman kissed Ms A on the lips and, in May 2021, hugged and touched her bottom, the tribunal determined. MPTS Chair, Mr Jonathan Storey, concluded that Chapman's erasure from the medical register 'was the only sanction that would mark the seriousness of his misconduct and conviction.' Mr Storey stated: 'Erasure would send a message to the medical profession and to the public that this type of behaviour was unacceptable.' During his previous sentencing, His Honour Judge Rupert Lowe told Chapman: 'Mr Chapman, you are an intelligent professional of previous good character with good references. However, people did not know what you did in private. 'Your defence at trial was absurd and unnecessary. Your claims were implausible and contradictory. You told the police a ridiculous story of having semen on your hand and admitted to masturbating at work. 'You then shifted your story about testing for a medical condition. The truth is, you masturbated at work as you had a high sex drive. The impact on your career and personal life has been considerable. You have brought that on yourself.' In addition to a 12-month community order, Chapman was also subjected to a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim, plus a five-year notification order. He also had to pay court costs totalling £3,500. If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via or by calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999 Do you have a story to share? Email me at
