Rishi Sunak’s family have been spoken to by police after letting their dog roam free in Hyde Park.
It came after the prime minister and his family were filmed apparently breaking the rules of the park in central London.
In a clip posted on TikTok, Sunak’s two-year-old labrador retriever, Nova, is seen wandering around near the edge of Serpentine lake, in an area where signs clearly state that dogs must be kept on leads to avoid disturbing the local wildlife.
In reference to the video, the Metropolitan police force said: “An officer, who was present at the time, spoke to a woman and reminded her of the rules,” apparently referring to Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty.
The police said the dog was then put back on the lead, adding they would take no further action. It is not clear when the video was filmed.
Sunak’s spokesperson declined to comment.
Earlier this year, the prime minister was fined by police for failing to wear a seatbelt in a moving car. Sunak apologised for “an error of judgment” and was handed a fixed-penalty notice by Lancashire police for the offence, which can result in a fine of up to £500. The incident came to light after Sunak posted a video of himself to social media while travelling in the back seat of a car.
Last year, while serving as chancellor in Boris Johnson’s government, he was fined £50 for attending a party that broke Covid-19 lockdown rules, along with Johnson. The pair became the first sitting prime minister and chancellor to be criminally sanctioned.
