The Metropolitan Police was at Downing Street while an alleged party was going on last Christmas, it has been claimed.
Sources from Number 10 have told ITV News that an alarm was accidentally set off in a room next to the one where the reported gathering was taking place on 18 December.
According to reports, this triggered an automatic response from a custodian, who came down to check what was going on.
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However, it has been claimed that a Met officer also went to the reception of Number 10 to have a look.
Responding to the allegations, a government spokesperson said: "Given there is an ongoing review, it would be inappropriate to comment while that is ongoing. We do not discuss matters of security.”
The Met Police also said in a statement: "As a matter of course, we do not discuss specific details of protective security arrangements we provide at government buildings, as to do so could serve to undermine any such arrangements in place."
This comes after a leaked video from the rehearsal for a Downing Street press briefing last year showed staff laughing and joking about the 'fictional party' that happened just a few days earlier.
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In a clip obtained by ITV, Boris Johnson’s then spokesperson Allegra Stratton could be seen laughing as she said there was ‘definitely no social distancing’ and that it was ‘a business meeting’.
The recording is reportedly from 22 December and shows staff preparing for a TV media briefing, which was later scrapped.
In the clip the staff are asking Stratton mock questions to help prepare for talking to the press.
Ed Oldfield, an advisor to Johnson, asks: "I’ve just seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night, do you recognise those reports?”
Stratton replies: "I went home,” she then starts to laugh and appears to have a think about what to say next, telling the room to ‘hold on’.
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Oldfield then asks: "Would the prime minister condone having a Christmas party?"
Stratton again laughs, before asking: "What’s the answer?"
At this point, other staff members pipe up in an attempt to help out - one can be heard to say: "It wasn’t a party, it was cheese and wine."
Stratton replies back: "Is cheese and wine alright?" she then adds that it was 'a business meeting' before saying 'this is recorded', but she continues to laugh and then adds: "This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.
According to the Mirror, a ‘boozy’ party took place at Number 10 on 18 December with 'around 40 or 50' people.
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A source told the Mirror: "While senior civil servants were urging caution and there was one message to the public, Prime Minister gave the impression that it could be very relaxed in No 10.
"He would either turn a blind eye or on some occasions attend himself while everyone else was in lockdown."
A Downing Street spokesperson told LADbible: "There was no Christmas party. Covid rules have been followed at all times."
However, just a few days later, a photo emerged of Johnson hosting a pub quiz from Downing Street on 15 December, which has raised questions over whether the Prime Minister broke the law while the rest of the country was being asked to stay away from family and friends.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: London, Politics, Boris Johnson