Met Police says partygate investigation is now complete - with 126 fines issued

The Metropolitan Police has concluded its investigation into lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall after issuing fixed penalty notices to 126 people.

Scotland Yard said on Thursday (19 May) it had issued fines to 53 men and 73 women, with some individuals receiving multiple fines, for events on eight separate dates. The force said detectives made 126 referrals for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to the Acro Criminal Records Office relating to events on eight dates: May 20, June 18 and 19, November 13 and December 17 and 18 in 2020 and January 14 and April 16 in 2021.

Police refused to confirm the identity of any of those involved. No 10 is yet to say whether Boris Johnson has received any further fines, having received one for an event on his 56th birthday which took place in June 2020.

Mr Johnson and up to 30 others attended the gathering at Downing Street as the country faced tight coronavirus restrictions. Now, the conclusion of Operation Hillman into partygate allegations paves the way for the publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s inquiry.

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Acting Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball, of the Met, said in a statement: “There is no doubt that the pandemic impacted all of us in so many ways and strong feelings and opinions have been expressed on this particular issue.

"When Covid regulations were introduced, the Met was clear that whilst we would not routinely investigate breaches of regulations retrospectively, there may be occasions when it would be appropriate to do so.

"The information that we received with regard to the alleged breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall was sufficient to reach our criteria to begin such an