Keir Starmer has confirmed police have not been in touch with him again after closing an investigation into an alleged breach of lockdown rules.
The Labour leader hit back at a Tory smear campaign just days before the local elections across the UK.
Starmer was asked if he had been questioned by officers since an initial probe after photos showed him having a beer and a takeaway with others last year.
Last month Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the Prime Minister's wife Carrie Johnson were all fined for attending a party in Downing Street in June 2020 during lockdown.
They were all given fixed penalty notices by the Metropolitan Police for breaching covid restrictions in place at the time.
Around 50 fines have already been handed out by cops in relation to gatherings during the covid lockdown in Downing Street and Whitehall.
During an interview on Tuesday, Starmer accused the Tories of mud-slinging over the issue.
He said: "This is simply being whipped up as mud-slinging by the Tories."
Earlier today he was probed on ITV's Good Morning Britain about the photos.
Here's the change between Starmer, Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid:
Madeley asked Starmer: "Evidence seems to be emerging that there were about 30, 30 takeaway meals and bottles of beer and social intercourse that went on at about 10 o'clock at night. Did that happen?"
Starmer replied: "Let me take that head on. We were, I think a few days before the elections last year, so four or five days before the elections.
"That means just like today I'm on the road every day with my team. We're going to different places.
"So as I leave here I'm getting on the train to Wakefield, no different this time last year across the country going to areas where we needed to campaign during the day we're out doing visits, campaigning, going on high streets, knocking on doors where we could.
"In the evening we're preparing we're doing all the other things that a team on the go has to do. That included when we're in Durham doing pieces to camera doing media."
Cops not investigating
Susanna Reid asked: "You were allowed to work, but you couldn't socialise unless that was reasonable for work. So are you trying to say that what you did was reasonable for work purposes?
"Why were you in the office with a takeaway food and beer late at night with 30 people?"
Starmer replied: "At the end of the day, we're in the office preparing.
"I was doing pieces to camera which we pre-record to send out at other times.
"We were clearing documents, we were preparing for the next day ,we were doing all the things that we have to do. This is what we do when we're on the road as we're out.
"We were in the office to do that work. At some point, this was in the evening, everybody is hungry and then a takeaway was ordered. It was then delivered into the kitchen of the office."
Reid said: "It sounds very much like a birthday cake where people were working which is exactly what the Prime Minister did."
Starmer added: "In Durham all restaurants and pubs were closed so takeaways were really the only way you could eat.
"This was brought in and at various points people went through to the kitchen, got a plate and had something to eat and got on with their work."
Madeley asked: "Have you been questioned by the police? Have they approached you in recent days?"
Starmer replied: "No. They put out a statement last week saying they're not re-investigating."
Police response
A spokesperson for Durham police said: “ Durham constabulary has reviewed video footage recorded in Durham on 30 April 2021.
"We do not believe an offence has been established in relation to the legislation and guidance in place at that time and will therefore take no further action in relation to this matter."
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