NO 2ND TRIP? SHOW PROOF
CUMMINGS IS NOT OFF THE HOOK YET
BY reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk
THE former chief constable of Durham has called on Dominic Cummings to prove he did not flout the rules with a second lockdown trip.
Pressure is growing on the Prime Minister’s chief aide to provide evidence of the claims which he made in the garden of No10 after his first 260-mile lockdown trip to his parents was revealed.
Cummings has categorically denied that he was in Houghall Woods near their Durham home on the morning of Sunday, April 19.
But walkers Dave and Clare Edwards told police in a statement that they were “100 per cent certain” that they had seen him.
They have gone to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) about how their report of the sighting was handled.
Former chief constable Mike Barton, in charge when Durham was recognised as the best force in the country, said: “It is the classic formula. Eventually the police get blamed.
“If Mr Cummings has proof that he did not go to Durham on that day – then let’s just see it.”
His former colleagues at Durham must now decide whether to approach Cummings for a statement on the latest claims, or ask him to produce his evidence of his whereabouts that day.
It is understood that the force took the advice of a top QC before releasing its statement after Cummings’ now infamous trip to Barnard Castle to “test his eyesight”.
Durham police decided that he may have committed a “minor breach” of the rules on
April 12 – his wife’s birthday – but that no further action would be taken. The IOPC said: “In accordance with the police complaints procedure, we have forwarded a complaint to Durham Constabulary. It will now be a matter for the force to determine the next steps, including whether this complaint merits referral to the IOPC.”
The statement came amid growing pressure on Boris Johnson to make public the evidence provided by his chief adviser about April 19.
Dave and Clare, both 59, are not alone in thinking that Cummings was in Houghall Woods on that day.
Four people have reported sightings of him that morning.
The first man got in touch after spotting him with a female companion in the area at about 8.30am.
Dave and Clare believe they spotted him there with a group of people just after 11am.
The fourth witness said: “I heard on the grapevine that he had been seen in the area of the woods before April 19.
“It had been spoken about by people who had spotted him in the area. I left my house at 10.29am on April 19. It was quite a warm day so it would have taken about 45 minutes to get there, I think that I saw him around 11.15-11.30am.
“It was on the section going down towards the Botanical Gardens, towards Houghall Farm in the area at the back of Houghall Agricultural College.
“At first I could not quite believe that I had seen him. I thought ‘Why would he be up here?’ But I was sure about it at the time.”
Clare is “100 per cent certain” she saw Cummings.
A further witness said they saw Cummings back in north London, on Hampstead Heath, later the same afternoon. Cummings has described accusations that he made a second lockdown trip to northeast England as “false”.
That denial came after it was revealed in May that he drove 260 miles with his wife Mary Wakefield, who had Covid-19 symptoms, and son to selfisolate at his parents’ home near Durham on March 27, at the height of the lockdown.
During their two-week stay, the family went to Barnard Castle, 30 miles away, which he later claimed was to test his eyesight before the next day’s drive to London.
A No10 spokesman said that Durham Constabulary had made clear that “they are not taking further action against Mr Cummings” and that by locating himself at his father’s premises he did not breach the regulations.
“The Prime Minister has said he believes Mr Cummings behaved reasonably and he considers the matter closed,” they added.
Johnson was challenged by MP Meg Hillier on the Commons liaison committee over whether he had seen the evidence to back up what Cummings said. The PM claimed “a lot of the allegations turned out to be false”.
He eventually said he had seen the evidence, but he refused to pass it on to the Cabinet Secretary to investigate.