Downing Road is going through accusations of a cover-up over Dominic Cummings’s journey to Durham on the peak of the nationwide lockdown, amid stories that No 10 knew he made the 264-mile journey after creating signs of coronavirus.

Opposition events have known as for Boris Johnson to sack his chief adviser over the obvious lockdown breach, which was revealed in an investigation by the Guardian and the Mirror.

Durham constabulary spoke to Cummings’s household to remind them of the lockdown guidelines after receiving stories on 31 March that he was in Durham days after changing into sick.

The appearing Durham police, crime and victims’ commissioner, Steve White, mentioned Cummings’s journey to Durham was “unwise”. He added: “To beat this disaster we have to be selfless, as hundreds of thousands have been. The response by the individuals of County Durham and Darlington have been exemplary, which makes this most irritating and regarding.”

Downing Road and Cummings have repeatedly refused to reply questions from the Guardian over various weeks about Cummings’s actions.

They broke their silence on Saturday. Cummings mentioned: “I behaved moderately and legally. Who cares about beauty? It’s a query of doing the proper factor.”

Downing Road mentioned: “Owing to his spouse being contaminated with suspected coronavirus and the excessive probability that he would himself develop into unwell, it was important for Dominic Cummings to make sure his younger little one might be correctly cared for. His sister and nieces had volunteered to assist so he went to a home close to to however separate from his prolonged household in case their assist was wanted.

“At no stage was he or his household spoken to by the police about this matter. His actions have been in step with coronavirus tips. Mr Cummings believes he behaved moderately and legally.”

Durham police mentioned on Friday that officers had “defined to the household the [lockdown] tips”. On Saturday the pressure mentioned it was standing by its assertion and had nothing additional so as to add.

The BBC reported that an nameless supply near Cummings had claimed {that a} “small variety of individuals in No 10 knew that Cummings had gone to Durham”.

This prompted the Scottish Nationwide occasion’s Westminster chief, Ian Blackford, to accuse Downing Road of attempting to suppress the story.

Blackford mentioned: “What I discover fascinating … is that members of Downing Road knew about this, so at first Boris Johnson has critical inquiries to reply over what now seems to be a cover-up.”

Responding to No 10’s assertion a spokesperson for the Labour occasion mentioned: “The lockdown guidelines have been very clear: if you happen to or anybody in your family was suspected of getting Covid-19 you have to instantly self-isolate and never depart the home. Nevertheless, the prime minister’s chief adviser seems to consider that it’s one rule for him and one other for the British individuals.

“This may trigger comprehensible anger for the hundreds of thousands of people that have sacrificed a lot throughout this disaster.

“No 10’s assertion additionally raises extra questions than it solutions. We’re nonetheless unclear who knew about this resolution and when, whether or not this was sanctioned by the prime minister and whether or not No 10 is now questioning the validity of the assertion from Durham police.

“At this afternoon’s press convention, we might be anticipating solutions to those questions.”

The Guardian first approached Downing Road for a remark in April after being informed by a neighbour of Cummings’s mother and father that that they had seen him on the Durham property on 5 April.

No 10 refused to debate the problem on the time. A spokesman mentioned: “It’ll be a no touch upon that one. We wouldn’t get into location of particular person members of workers.”

Talking to BBC Radio 4’s At this time programme, Blackford mentioned: “The prime minister should clarify precisely when he knew concerning the breaking of the foundations, whether or not he sanctioned it, why Cummings wasn’t sacked instantly and why it seems that he tried to cowl it up, not telling the general public till the newspaper[s] broke the story eight weeks later final evening.”

Dave Penman, the overall secretary of the FDA, the union that represents senior civil servants, mentioned Johnson had an obligation to clarify Cummings’s behaviour.

He informed At this time: “I feel the prime minister wants to grasp how heartbreaking this lockdown has been for therefore many households and the sacrifices which have been made up and down the nation.

“I feel in these circumstances, if it appears like there may be one rule for these on the centre of presidency and one rule for the remainder of the nation, then actually the prime minister has a accountability, in addition to a constitutional accountability, to clarify his actions. He has recognized about this for six weeks.”

Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have additionally known as for Cummings to resign or be sacked. One Tory MP informed the Guardian: “I gained’t be lifting a finger to defend him.”

They steered Cummings would discover few defenders within the parliamentary Conservative occasion. “He isn’t standard with most Tory MPs. The radio silence on the Tory MP WhatsApp group because the story broke is fairly telling. The difficulty is he’s more and more changing into the story. The cardinal sin of any Spad [special adviser].”

The international secretary, Dominic Raab, accused opponents of Cummings of attempting “politicise” his behaviour. He tweeted: “It’s cheap and truthful to ask for a proof on this. And it has been supplied: two mother and father with coronavirus, have been anxiously taking good care of their younger little one. These now searching for to politicise it ought to take an extended onerous look within the mirror.”

His cupboard colleague Michael Gove tweeted: “Caring on your spouse and little one will not be a criminal offense.”

Prof Susan Michie, of College Faculty London, who’s a member of Sage, the scientific group that has guided the federal government’s response to the coronavirus, steered Cummings’s journey would undermine belief within the official recommendation on the outbreak.

Dorset’s police and crime commissioner, Martyn Underhill, mentioned such a high-profile breach of the foundations by Cummings would make it tougher for police to implement the lockdown.

He mentioned: “Right here’s a really high-profile individual and it’s very unlucky, the timing of this as a result of, that is going to be the busiest weekend Dorset has seen this 12 months.”