Claims that Boris Johnson and his staff held Covid rule-breaking parties at 10 Downing Street before last Christmas were denied by a senior Tory government minister.
About 40 or 50 people were said to have attended two events at the prime minister’s residence, according to a report in The Mirror.
Claims included a leaving party for a senior aide last November, during which Mr Johnson is said to have given a speech.
There was also reported to have been festive party in Downing Street just days before Christmas.
The events were allegedly held during periods of heightened coronavirus restrictions.
One source told The Mirror there were “many social gatherings” in Downing Street last year while the public faced strict rules.
The leaving do took place on November 27 while the unofficial Christmas bash, which the prime minister did not attend, happened on December 18.
However, a UK Government spokesman said: “Covid rules have been followed at all times.”
‘All rules would have been followed’
UK Goverment health secretary Sajid Javid said he was certain all rules would have been followed.
“Whatever happened in No 10 throughout the pandemic, I am absolutely certain all the rules around the pandemic would have been followed,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“Obviously I can’t tell you what’s going on on a daily basis in any building, but what I can tell you is if it’s Government, especially No 10, all the rules would have been followed at all times.”
The claims emerged just hours after Mr Johnson said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties or school nativity plays because of concerns about Omicron.
When asked about it at a press conference, the prime minister said: “We don’t want people to cancel such events.
“We think that overwhelmingly the best thing for kids is to be in school, as I’ve said many times throughout this pandemic.
“What we are doing is trying to take a balanced and proportionate approach to the particular risk that seems to be posed by Omicron, or certainly is posed by Omicron, focused in particular on measures at the borders.”
In Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has said it is “too early” to tell if Christmas plans will be impacted by the outbreak of the variant.