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Dominic Cummings 'further breached lockdown rules by making second trip to Durham after returning to London'

Dominic Cummings told reporters he was justified for travelling to his parents home during the lockdown: PA
Dominic Cummings told reporters he was justified for travelling to his parents home during the lockdown: PA

Dominic Cummings is facing new claims of flouting Government rules amid reports he made a second trip to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.

A witness told the Sunday Mirror and the Observer that Boris Johnson's chief adviser was seen on April 19 in woodland near the Durham property he stayed at with his family - days after he was spotted back in Downing Street on April 14, and when strict rules were still in place not to travel.

A second eyewitness claimed they saw Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle, a town 30 miles away from Durham, on April 12, when he was reportedly still self-isolating at the property. Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher, claimed he saw the PM's senior aide walking with family by the River Tees.

Ministers have insisted Mr Cummings had stayed put "for 14 days" after he arrived at the property in Durham , having travelled to be close to family to seek help looking after his four-year-old child after his wife became ill with coronavirus symptoms.

The new revelations come after an investigation by the Daily Mirror and the Guardian revealed on Friday that Mr Cummings had allegedly breached travel restrictions by travelling more than 250 miles from his home in London with his family.

Mr Cummings insisted on Saturday that he acted “reasonably and legally”, telling reporters he did the "right" thing. The PM was also said to have given Mr Cummings his "full support".

But both the Labour Party and SNP have questioned who knew, and when, that Mr Cummings had travelled from his home in London to Durham – and whether this was a breach of rules at the time.

After the latest revelations emerged, a Labour source said: “If these latest revelations are true, why on earth were Cabinet ministers sent out this afternoon to defend Dominic Cummings?

“We need an urgent investigation by the Cabinet Secretary to get to the bottom of this matter. It cannot be right that there is one rule for the Prime Minister’s adviser and another for the British people.”

Acting leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey said: “If Dominic Cummings is now allowed to remain in place a moment longer, it will increasingly be the Prime Minister’s judgment that is in the spotlight.

“Surely Boris Johnson must now recognise the actions of his top adviser are an insult to the millions who have made huge personal sacrifices to stop the spread of coronavirus.

“Each minute the Prime Minister allows this scandal to drag on is another minute the Government is distracted from upscaling Britain’s testing capacity, securing PPE for frontline workers and ending tragic deaths in our care homes.”

Ian Blackford, leader in Westminster of the SNP, renewed his calls for the PM to axe Mr Cummings from his team following the new reports.

He wrote on Twitter: “It is clear that Boris Johnson must sack Dominic Cummings. When the PMs top advisor ignores the Government’s instruction to the public not to engage in non-essential travel he has to leave office. Immediately.”

Meanwhile, former MP for Bishop Auckland posted on Twitter: "So Dominic Cummings walks outside my house with the virus while I am denied a visit to my Dad in a care home in Barnard Castle and he dies 5 days later. Horror Movie."

Downing Street declined to comment on the new reports when approached by the Standard.

Earlier, they said he "acted in line with guidelines" and that his journey was "essential" because it related to the welfare of his child.

Several ministers had then publicly backed Mr Cummings, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps at the daily Downing Street briefing.

Downing Street says police did not speak to Mr Cummings (AFP via Getty Images)
Downing Street says police did not speak to Mr Cummings (AFP via Getty Images)

When asked if Mr Johnson knew about about Mr Cummings’s actions and had approved them, Mr Shapps said Mr Cummings "stayed put" in the Durham property "and didn't come out again until he was feeling better".

“The important thing is that everyone remains in the same place whilst they are on lockdown which is exactly what happened in I think the case you’re referring to with Mr Cummings," he said.

“The Prime Minister will have known he was staying put and he didn’t come out again until he was feeling better.”

He added: “You have to get yourself in lockdown and do that in the best and most practical way – and I think that will be different for different people under whatever circumstances, their particular family differences, happen to dictate, that’s all that’s happened in this case.”

Durham police said the Cummings family was reminded of the lockdown rules on March 31, but Downing Street insisted that the family were not spoken to.

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