Wife forced to be without dying husband last Christmas says Downing Street party is 'appalling'

'They think it's funny to not be social distancing and having a large gathering...while we were grieving and spending our first Christmas without Charlie', Julie tells ITV Central

A wife who was not able to see her dying husband in hospital last Christmas because of the Covid-19 restrictions has hit out at the government over their jokes about having a party.

Julie Goodwin, who is from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, described the footage appearing to show Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party as "absolutely appalling".

Ms Goodwin said: "They think it's funny to not be social distancing and having a large gathering when we couldn't have nothing and had to go by the rules, while we were grieving and spending our first Christmas without Charlie on our own."

Her comments come as people across the Midlands, who sacrificed seeing loved ones in the last Christmas lockdown, have said they are disgusted by the leaked Downing Street video.

In the video, staff can be heard laughing and making references to "cheese and wine", while Boris Johnson’s then spokesperson Allegra Stratton remarked there was “definitely no social distancing.”

'How many more times are [the government] going to make a mockery out of the public?' Angela, who missed her mother's last Christmas, says

At the time, most people in the Midlands were in the highest Covid Tier and faced the tightest restrictions - while Covid was claiming the lives of many.

Lockdown rules meant some families have been robbed of their final moments with relatives and were not able to say goodbye in person.

Angela Dawn's mother died in a care home in Coventry last year after restrictions meant her family couldn't be by her side.

She said if she knew that people in a position of power were flouting the rules she wouldn't have missed her mother's last Christmas.

She also wants leaders to take more responsibility and described the situation as a "complete shambles", before asking "how many more times are they going to make a mockery out of the public?"

The Prime Minister has agreed to provide the Met Police with any information they need, as the force considers whether it should investigate.

The Cabinet Secretary will also look into if any Covid-19 rules were broken.