Papers lead on UK's death toll and adviser's resignation

Many of Wednesday’s papers lead with the news that a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) adviser has stood down from his role after breaching social distancing rules.

The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail report that Professor Neil Ferguson, the man behind the nation’s strict lockdown measures, has resigned after breaking social distancing restrictions to “meet his married lover”.

The Metro says Prof Ferguson warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson days before the lockdown was implemented that “Britain faced up to 500,000 dead” without strictly-enforced social distancing measures.

Prof Ferguson “deeply regrets” undermining “the continuing need for social distancing”, according to The Sun.

Elsewhere, The Guardian, i and Daily Mirror all lead with a story on the UK’s coronavirus death toll becoming “the worst in Europe”.

The Times reports that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing plans to “wind down” the Government’s furlough scheme by July amid concerns the nation has become “addicted” to the wage subsidies.

The Financial Times leads with Virgin Atlantic’s decision to “cut almost a third of its 10,000 workforce and close its Gatwick operations” in an attempt to survive the pandemic.

The Independent says the NHS contact-tracing app could be susceptible to “malicious false alerts” that could cause “people to isolate unnecessarily”.

Chinese-backed hackers are “targeting” British pharmaceutical firms involved with developing a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Daily Express.

And the Daily Star says Coronation Street writers will “tackle coronavirus in upcoming episodes”.