UK Police close case against Cummings, say he may have committed ‘minor breach’

The British Police on May 29 reportedly said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings may have committed a ‘minor breach’ of COVID-19 lockdown but will face no further action. Cummings recently drew attention as it was revealed that he drove 26 miles to a castle with his wife and son and he also drove to his father’s house in Durham. Ever since the revelations about the long road trips, Cummings has been fighting for his job as it has provoked outrage across Britain. 

While Cummings refused to apologise for the trip, the Durham Police in a statement said that the top adviser did not commit an offence by locating himself at his father’s property. However, the police department also added that his trip to Barnard Castle with his family might have been a ‘minor breach’ of regulations. The police reportedly said that they had concluded that there might have been a breach of the regulations that would have warranted police intervention. 

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Furthermore, the police also confirmed that there is no intention to take retrospective action in respect of the Barnard Castle incident since that would amount to treating Cummings differently from other members of the public. In the reported statement, the police further said that the top aide had not committed an offence y moving from London to Durham at the end of March. 

Soon after the statement of the Durham Police, a Downing Street spokesperson reportedly said that police have made clear that they are taking no action against Cummings over self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations. The spokesperson further said that the PM also believes that his top aide behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances. He added that Johnson regards the issue as closed. 

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Ross Douglas resigns 

The Downing Street had always believed that Cummings' actions were in line with the coronavirus guidelines and he behaved ‘reasonably and legally’. However, several opposition leaders have demanded resignation or dismissal of Cummings. UK minister Douglas Ross also resigned in protest over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings’ controversial trip amid COVID-19 lockdown across the nation. Ross, Under Secretary of State for Scotland, welcomed the clarification provided by Cummings during a press conference but the Scottish politician added that there remained aspects of the explanation that he had trouble with.

The incident reportedly took place back a week after Johnson sent the UK into lockdown and banned people from visiting other households. Back in March, the UK PM gave instructions that people must stay at home and should not be meeting family members who do not live in their home. Meanwhile, earlier, Cummings had admitted taking a third trip during the nationwide lockdown, adding that he doesn’t regret his decision.

(Image: AP) 

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