A human rights barrister has said the Prime Minister could face thousands of pounds worth of fixed penalty notices for attending lockdown parties in No 10.
Detectives investigating the gatherings in Downing Street are to send out questionnaires to people believed to have taken part, Scotland Yard said on Wednesday.
Before the end of the week, officers from what has been named Operation Hillman will begin contacting more than 50 people thought to have been involved in events which are the subject of police inquiries.
Adam Wagner, an expert on Covid-19 rules, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the most likely form of penalty to be issued by police investigating the gatherings is fixed penalty notices, “which can be issued when the police reasonably believe a person has committed a criminal offence”.
He said: “There were 12 gatherings being investigated; the person we know was probably at six was the Prime Minister.
"So if he was given a fixed penalty notice for each and every one those, I think that he would be given those sort of cumulative amounts until eventually the final one would be £6,400.
“So overall, and assuming there isn’t a big £10,000 one for hosting a gathering in the flat of over 30 people, he could still be in line for over £10,000 worth of fixed penalty notices if they accumulate”.
