Met Police handed more than 300 pictures as 'partygate' investigation continues

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The Met Police said it has been handed more than 300 pictures as its investigation into gatherings held in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office during lockdown continue.

It comes after a partial version of the Sue Gray's report into the events was given to Boris Johnson and released to the public on Monday afternoon. .

Ms Gray, a civil servant, has been investigating numerous rule-breaking parties held at Downing Street during lockdown. Her inquiry covers a total of 16 separate gatherings on 12 different dates - eight of which are currently being investigated by the Met Police. Read more:Sue Gray report in full - the published inquiry into Downing Street parties The report, although pared-back, found 'failures of leadership and judgement' over parties that 'should not have been allowed'.

In a statement, the Met Police revealed it has received more than 300 images and 500 pages of information from the inquiry. It read: "Having received the documentation from the Cabinet Office on Friday 28 January, we are now reviewing it at pace to confirm which individuals will need to be contacted for their account. "This prioritisation will include reviewing all the material from the Cabinet Office, which includes more than 300 images and over 500 pages of information." Initially, the Met Police said it would not usually investigate 'breaches reported long after they are said to have taken place.' But since 'significant evidence' has emerged, they are now assessing the breaches, 'which is why we have acted now,' the statement explains.