Police investigators probing Downing Street party allegations are issuing 50 people with “questionnaires” about their whereabouts and what they were doing.
Speaking to BBC Radio London, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said some of those “may very well” be handed fixed penalty notices.
She added she recognises the scandal of parties at No 10 has “hugely disgusted” members of the public.
She said: “You may be aware that we are currently investigating, and I announced that a couple of weeks ago at the Police and Crime Committee.
“And you will also, perhaps, be aware that although I said we wouldn’t be giving a running commentary we would at significant moments update the public and yesterday, my investigators did put out an update to say that we will be writing with a questionnaire to over 50 people as as part of that investigation to ask them to account for what they were doing. And clearly, some, but probably not all, of those people may very well end up with a ticket.
Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he will resign if he is fined for breaching lockdown restrictions.
Asked at a press conference with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the Prime Minister said: “On your point about what’s going on at home, that process must be completed and I’m looking forward to it being completed, and that’s the time to say more on that.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was not clear whether Boris Johnson will tell the public if he receives a police questionnaire over alleged Covid breaches.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The Prime Minister has said he will be full and transparent. He will notify if he is receiving either any form of fine etc but he’s also said he will publish the Sue Gray report in full.”
Nadhim Zahawi said people are “rightly angry” about allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.
“There is no doubt that the stories around parties have cut through – people were rightly angry to see that those who were making the rules have allegations put against them that they’re not obeying the rules,” he said to Sky News.
“I think the police are looking at all those allegations that Sue Gray has given them, I think they’ve got a ream-and-a-half of hundreds of pages of reports and pictures,” he said, adding it was only right they should do so.
A human rights barrister has said the Prime Minister could face thousands of pounds worth of fixed penalty notices for attending lockdown parties in No 10.
Adam Wagner, an expert on Covid-19 rules, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the most likely form of penalty to be issued by police investigating the gatherings is fixed penalty notices, “which can be issued when the police reasonably believe a person has committed a criminal offence”.
He said: “There were 12 gatherings being investigated; the person we know was probably at six was the Prime Minister. So if he was given a fixed penalty notice for each and every one those, I think that he would be given those sort of cumulative amounts until eventually the final one would be £6,400.
“So overall, and assuming there isn’t a big £10,000 one for hosting a gathering in the flat of over 30 people, he could still be in line for over £10,000 worth of fixed penalty notices if they accumulate”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged more pictures of alleged rule-breaking events in Downing Street could emerge at any time.
He told Times Radio: “The constant leaking is clearly designed for a purpose.
“Yes, there could be a photograph tomorrow, the next day or the day after, that’s clearly what’s behind some of the people’s motives.
“How accurate they are, how much they are put in the right context, that’s what the police will find out.”
