Police had fined downing Street staff at a party that took place the night before Prince Philip’s funeral, in the first decision by Scotland Yard that the number 10 inside the center of the government had broken Covid laws.
Sources said that fixed penalty notices were served to those on leave for Boris Johnson’s aide in the Cabinet Office in June 2020, adding that those attending the opening hours at No. 10 on April 16, 2021, were also warned that they would receive will fine.
The incident created a contrast between it and the Queen’s strict adherence to social distancing rules by sitting alone at her husband’s funeral at the age of 73.
Meanwhile, Downing Street employees are said to have been so drunk that they smashed a swing used by the prime minister’s son Wilf in the number 10 garden while a staff member packed a suitcase full of alcohol, and the other worked as a DJ.
Two parties took place that evening – one to mark the departure of Johnson’s director of communications, James Slack, and the other for one of Johnson’s personal photographers.
At the time, England was in phase two of a strict roadmap of the lockdown, meaning all indoor mixing was banned.
On April 16, many of the participants in No. 10 were sent questionnaires by the Meteorological Department asking them to provide a reasonable excuse for their presence.
The notification, which was received at the end of last week, said: “In light of this, you are hereby informed to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), which will prevent you from any liability for conviction; for the offence by paying a certain penalty.”
