LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Guardian newspaper on Sunday printed {a photograph} of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and greater than a dozen different individuals ingesting wine within the backyard of his Downing Avenue residence which it mentioned was taken throughout a COVID-19 lockdown in Could 2020.

In response, his workplace mentioned there have been employees conferences within the backyard that day.

Johnson has been hit by a string of media tales in current weeks over alleged Christmas events in authorities places of work, together with his personal, final yr in breach of COVID-19 lockdowns and has ordered an investigation.

The studies have dismayed voters who have been informed by authorities to sacrifice their very own Christmas occasions final yr, and who face the potential of being informed to curb their Christmas plans for a second yr working because the Omicron variant spreads quickly.

The image printed by the Guardian was reported to be from Could 2020, not lengthy after Johnson was discharged from hospital the place he had spent a number of nights in intensive care with COVID-19.

It reveals Johnson along with his spouse Carrie, who seems to be holding their new child son, and two different individuals at a desk on a terrace within the Downing Avenue backyard with cheese and wine.

Close by is one other desk of 4 different individuals, and a brief distance away are a bigger group standing on the grass round a desk with bottles of wine.

Requested in regards to the image, a Downing Avenue spokesperson mentioned: “Work conferences usually happen within the Downing Avenue backyard in the summertime months. On this event there have been employees conferences following a No. 10 press convention.”

“Downing Avenue is the Prime Minister’s residence in addition to his office. The Prime Minister’s spouse lives in No. 10 and subsequently additionally legitimately makes use of the backyard.”

The newspaper mentioned the {photograph} was shared with it after Johnson’s workplace final week denied a social occasion had taken place, saying Downing Avenue employees have been working within the backyard within the afternoon and night.

On that day then well being secretary Matt Hancock had given a press convention urging individuals to stay to the foundations and never make the most of the nice climate over the weekend to socialize in teams, it reported.