Pictures show Boris Johnson raising glass during lockdown leaving party
Pictures of Boris Johnson drinking at a gathering in Number 10 over lockdown have emerged ahead of the publication of the long-awaited Sue Gray report.
The images, leaked to ITV News, showed the Prime Minister raising a glass next to a table littered with alcohol bottles.
The broadcaster said they were taken at the leaving party for former Director of Communications, Lee Cain, on November 13 2020.
At that time the whole country was under a lockdown, which restricted people from socialising indoors.
The images appear to show four bottles of wine, two of champagne or sparkling wine, and another that looks to be a spirit.
There is also what appears to be a bottle of hand sanitiser on the table, and a ministerial red box sits on a chair.
Mr Johnson was not fined by the Metropolitan Police over the event seen in the images.
Downing Street declined to defend the scene portrayed, saying the Prime Minister will comment after the Sue Gray report into partygate is published in the coming days.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs.
“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full.”