The police have confirmed they are "looking into" an incident where Rishi Sunak was not wearing a seatbelt in a moving car.
The Prime Minister was filming a social media clip in the back of a vehicle but was not wearing a seatbelt at the time. He has since apologised for the "mistake".
Downing Street said Mr Sunak had made a "brief error of judgment" by removing the belt as he promoted his levelling-up funding in the Instagram video when he visited Lancashire on Thursday. The offence can be punished with fines of up to £500.
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A spokesperson for Lancashire Police told the PA news agency: "We are aware of the matter and we will be looking into it." A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Sunak "fully accepts this was a mistake and apologises".
"The Prime Minister believes everyone should wear a seatbelt," the spokesman said. "It was an error of judgment, he removed it for a short period of time to film a clip, which you've seen, but he accepts that was a mistake."
Mr Sunak was asked about failing to wear his seatbelt as he walked off from a broadcast interview in Hartlepool, but he declined to answer. There are a few exemptions for failing to wear a belt, including when a car is being used for police, fire and rescue services and for certified medical issues.
But Downing Street did not believe there was an exception for travelling in a ministerial car. In the video, police motorbikes can be seen escorting the car as Mr Sunak addresses the camera.
Mr Sunak was also facing criticism for travelling to Blackpool in a taxpayer-funded RAF jet rather than using a train, and then taking a 28-minute flight to Darlington. Labour said Mr Sunak's video was adding to "endless painful viewing" after he was previously seen struggling to make a contactless payment with his card.
"Rishi Sunak doesn't know how to manage a seatbelt, his debit card, a train service, the economy, this country," a spokeswoman said. "This list is growing every day, and it's making for endless painful viewing."
The AA warned of the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt. "No matter who you are, it is important to wear your seatbelt when in the car," an AA spokesman said. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said "everyone should take seatbelt laws seriously - whoever and wherever they are".
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