The Metropolitan Police have faced new calls to investigate the British Government's 'virtual' Christmas party after a new picture emerged of Boris Johnson with an open bottle of bubbly.
The image shows the Prime Minister flanked by three members of staff, one wearing tinsel and another a Santa hat, at the event on December 15, 2020, and was published in the Mirror on Wednesday morning.
On the desk in front of him appears to be champagne and a half-eaten packet of crisps.
Mr Johnson was accused of personally breaking Covid laws by hosting the festive event after the Mirror revealed last year that it had taken place.
At the time London was under Tier 2 regulations banning any social mixing between two or more people from different households.
Official guidance also stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
Just two days after the Mirror's initial story, the PM said: “I can tell you once again that I certainly broke no rules."
He answered a question from a Labour MP in the House of Commons, saying "He is completely in error."
He later said the event "had been submitted for investigation".
At the same time, Boris's former aide Dominic Cummings warned: "There's waaaaay better pics than that floating around, incl in the flat."
Downing Street has pointed out that the event itself had already been considered by Scotland Yard, which decided not to investigate it further.
