British police launch investigation into Downing Street parties

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - British police said on Tuesday they had opened an investigation into possible COVID lockdown breaches at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street residence after receiving evidence from an internal government probe into a series of gatherings.   

Johnson is fighting for his political life after a series of claims that he and staff partied at the heart of the British state in breach of the rules they had themselves imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.   
Revelations of revelry, including boozy parties in Downing Street, suitcases of supermarket wine, a broken children’s swing, a wine fridge and jokes by staff about how to present such parties to reporters, have hammered Johnson’s ratings.   

ITV reported on Monday that Johnson had attended a surprise party on his birthday in 2020. Up to 30 people attended the event in the Cabinet Room of No. 10 Downing Street, his office and residence, the broadcaster said.   
After initially refusing to investigate the gatherings at Downing Street, Britain’s top police officer, Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick, said on Tuesday that an investigation had been opened.    “I can confirm that the Met (Metropolitan Police) is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations,” she said.The Cabinet Office said its own investigation, being carried out by senior official Sue Gray, was continuing and there was ongoing contact with the police.