Police broke-up a lockdown-breaching bank holiday birthday party at the home of a Conservative MP on the same night the Prime Minister’s top aide defended his decision to take a 260 mile trip from London to Durham during the height of the coronavirus lockdown.
The birthday party took place at the home of MP Rob Roberts, who represents the constituency of Delyn in North Wales, reports The Mirror.
Officers visited the house in Mold, which had balloons and banners outside, and two people were asked to leave.
A spokesperson for Mr Roberts last night said the Conservative politician was not present at the home and was in London at the time.
The gathering was said to be a 40th birthday party, with Mr Roberts’ wife, Alexandra, from whom he is separated, is said to have turned 40 on Monday.
Police broke-up a birthday party at the home of a Conservative MP Rob Roberts (pictured) on Bank Holiday Monday. Mr Roberts, who represents the constituency of Delyn in North Wales, was not there at the time, his spokesperson said
Officers visited the house in Mold, which had balloons and banners outside, and two people were asked to leave. Pictured: a family walk up Moel Famau hill near Mold (library image)
As in England, It is still against lockdown rules to visit other households in Wales.
Superintendent Mark Pierce of North Wales Police told the Mirror: ‘In response to two reports of a possible breach of Covid 19 regulations we visited an address at Ty’n y Coed, Mold, yesterday.
‘When we called at the property two people visiting the house left following advice and no further action was taken.’
A spokesperson for Mr Roberts said: ‘Rob Roberts was not present at the time.
‘His family have been reminded of the guidelines set out by the government.’
The party took place on the same day that the Prime Minister’s chief adviser Mr Cummings defended his decision to travel from London to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.
Yesterday, he addressed allegations that he had broken the rules, set by the government he works for, in an extraordinary hour long press conference.
Despite facing growing calls to resign, Mr Cummings refused to apologise for making the trip and claimed he had always behaved ‘reasonably and legally’.
The Prime Minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings (pictured) yesterday defended his decision to travel from London to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown
Mr Cummings, who spoke to the press in the garden of No 10 Downing Street (pictured), said his decision to travel to the city to stay in a cottage of his parents’ land was the result of a ‘very complicated, tricky situation’
Mr Cummings said his decision to travel to the city to stay in a cottage on his parents’ land was the result of a ‘very complicated, tricky situation’.
He said he had concluded on Friday, March 27 that if both he and his wife became ill their son could be looked after by his sister or nieces.
He then drove to Durham, arriving at midnight, not stopping on the way.
He also accepted that he had made a 30 mile trip from Durham to Barnard Castle before his return to London, saying he was worried about his eye-sight ahead of his drive back to the capital.
The Vote Leave maverick faced accusations of ‘double standards’, with the nation having been instructed to stay at home, but he told the unprecedented press conference in the Number 10 Rose Garden: ‘I don’t regret what I did… I think what I did was reasonable in the circumstances.’
Asked directly if he had offered to quit or had even considered it, he added: ‘No I have not offered to resign, no I have not considered it.’
Following the revelations of the trip, Mr Roberts tweeted that there should be a ‘proper investigation’, before later saying Mr Cummings acted ‘in the best interests of his child’.
Mr Roberts confirmed on Twitter that he had split from his wife six weeks ago after coming out as LGBT.