Boris Johnson's former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, will not be prosecuted following his breaching of the COVID-19 lockdown back in March, according to revelations by The Mirror.
Mr Cummings, who was ultimately forced out of No.10 by Boris Johnson in November 2020, came under heavy public fire after making a trip to a family home in county Durham in April 2020, during the height of the UK's first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. He had also taken a separate 60-mile journey from Durham to the town of Barnard Castle, despite admitting that he had coronavirus symptoms.
Subsequently, the former prosecutor for northwest England, Nazir Afzal, submitted a 255-page dossier of evidence of Cummings' lockdown breach to detectives in Durham, and urged them to investigate and take action against against him for breaking the law.
According to The Mirror, however, Durham Police Deputy Chief Constable David Orford has now written to lawyers representing Mr Afzal to inform that they "will be taking no further action".
"We do not consider the relevant tests are made out in relation to any potential offences raised within your submission", the letter seen by The Mirror reportedly elaborates.
Since learning that Durham police will not be acting against Mr Cummings, Mr Afzal told The Mirror that he found it "hugely disappointing".
"I am considering with my legal team what further avenues to pursue because millions of people would want us to. This is also going to form part of my recent decision to examine the legal implications of the whole extent of the government's failures on COVID", he added.
In his own defence, following the revelations that he had breached the COVID-19 lockdown in April, Mr Cummings gave what was widely seen as an unrepentant press conference in May, in which he claimed that he had always behaved "reasonably and legally".
