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London’s Metropolitan Police said that it had concluded its investigation into alleged coronavirus rule breaking within Downing Street and Whitehall, with more than 100 fines issued in total.
The force said on Thursday that 126 referrals for fixed penalty notices were issued as part of their Operation Hillman investigation that began in January this year.
Twelve gatherings were investigated by the police, with fines issued for eight events in total, including the May 20 2020 gathering in the Number 10 garden and the April 16 gathering last year on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.
“A team of 12 detectives worked through 345 documents, including emails, door logs, diary entries and witness statements, 510 photographs and CCTV images and 204 questionnaires as part of a careful and thorough inquiry,” the Met said in a statement.
The force added that each line of inquiry explored a range of factors including the circumstances behind each event and the relevant legislation at the time. Fifty three men and 73 women were issued fines, with some individuals sanctioned more than once.
“Our investigation was thorough and impartial and was completed as quickly as we could, given the amount of information that needed to be reviewed and the importance of ensuring that we had strong evidence for each FPN referral,” said Met acting deputy commissioner Helen Ball. “This investigation is now complete.”
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