Downing Street staff who partied on eve of Prince Philip's funeral fined by Met Police

A number of Downing Street staff have been issued with police fines over lockdown-breaking parties that took place on the night before Prince Philip's funeral.

There are believed to have been two leaving parties in Number 10 on April 16 2021. The next day, the Queen sat alone during her husband's funeral, in an effort to respect Covid restrictions.

Number 10 apologised for one of the reported parties that was confirmed after the prime minister’s former director of communications acknowledged his attendance.

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Now, ITV has seen emails confirming some Downing Street staff have been issued with fines from the Metropolitan Police.

The fines are among an initial round of 20 fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) that were issued as part of Scotland Yard’s investigation, confirming police believe coronavirus laws were broken at the heart of government.

ITV News also understands Boris Johnson will reportedly not be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police as part of their investigation.

This is because the force is not interviewing those who have received questionnaires as part of the inquiries, and could potentially be fined, Political Editor Robert Peston said.