No 10 accused of 'cover up' after reports some at highest levels knew Dominic Cummings broke lockdown

'Why Cummings wasn't sacked immediately?,' asks SNP's Ian Blackford MP

Opposition politicians have accused No 10 of a ‘cover up’ after reports some in Downing Street knew Dominic Cummings went to Durham while sick with Coronavirus.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said that Boris Johnson had serious questions to answer and should sack his chief adviser immediately.

No 10 has yet to officially comment on the apparent flouting of the UK’s lockdown rules.

Police have confirmed they visited a property in County Durham after Mr Cummings made the more than 260-mile journey from his London home.

Following reports Mr Cummings and his wife travelled to his parents' home to get help to care for their young son, Mr Blackford told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What I find interesting... is that (according to some reports) members of Downing Street knew about this so, first and foremost, Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer over what now appears to be a cover-up.

"The Prime Minister must explain exactly when he knew about the breaking of the rules, whether he sanctioned it, why Cummings wasn't sacked immediately and why it appears that he tried to cover it up, not telling the public until the newspaper(s) broke the story eight weeks later last night."

Earlier Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, said the “integrity of the prime minister” was at stake.

He called on Mr Johnson to say if he believed Mr Cummings had adhered to the rules.

He added: “It’s clearly a matter of public interest - lockdown has been heartbreaking for so many families, this looks like one rule for those at the centre of government and one rule for everyone else”

Mr Cumming’s trip was revealed as part of a joint investigation by the Daily Mirror and the Guardian.

A neighbour told the papers Mr Cummings was seen in the garden, while Abba's Dancing Queen was playing loudly, five days after the police visit.

Durham police confirmed officers had spoken to the owners of an address after reports a person had travelled there from London.

A spokesman said: "On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city.

"Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house.

"In line with national policing guidance, officers explained to the family the arrangements around self-isolation guidelines and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel."

Senior members of Mr Johnson’s own party expressed concern Mr Cummings' actions could jeopardise the government’s wider Covid-19 strategy.

Former Tory cabinet minister David Lidington,Theresa May’s de facto deputy prime minister, told Newsnight: "There's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address, not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story."

Professor Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the lockdown, quit as a government adviser for flouting the rules when he was visited at this home by his girlfriend.

At the time Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he was "speechless".

Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for Mr Cummings to quit over the allegations, while a spokesman for Labour said: "The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings."

He told the BBC Mr Johnson had serious questions to answer. “Did he sanction this? Did he say “this is ok”?”

Allies of Mr Cummings suggested he would tough out the controversy, saying he was not “remotely bothered” by the story and calling it “fake news”.

"There is zero chance of him resigning."