The UK government will officially stop showing how coronavirus deaths compare to the rest of the world at its daily press conference.
The international comparisons slide was missing in recent days after the UK's recorded deaths shot to the worst in Europe.
And now Downing Street has confirmed the daily slide won't return.
Officials declared it was an unreliable measure - despite using it themselves for almost two months.
No10 claimed its own scientists have been clear since mid-April that international comparisons were not reliable, because each country records deaths differently and has different risks to Covid-19.
The latest World Health Organisation figures put the UK death toll as Europe's highest at 32,065.
That figure lags behind and a totting up of different official figures puts the deal toll above 40,000.
PM Boris Johnson's official spokesman was today forced to deny the slide had been dropped out of embarrassment.
He quoted government advisors, including Yvonne Doyle, Ian Diamond, Chris Whitty and Jenny Harries, who all said it was difficult to compare to other countries as early as March.
Yet the spokesman could not give a clear reason why the slide carried on being used until May anyway.
Instead he said: "We have changed the format and the content of the slides throughout this process".
The spokesman added: "Since introducing slides, we’ve varied the content and format.
"As we made clear in the slides, it’s difficult to compare statistics across countries.
“It is not possible to make like for like comparisons and numerous experts have said reliable international comparisons won’t be possible until further along in the pandemic.”
He went on: "The slide stated very clearly on it that international comparisons were difficult.
"In recent weeks a number of experts have made it very clear how difficult it is to make international comparisons."
The situation has been raised for two weeks in a row at PMQs by Labour leader Keir Starmer - who held up the government's old international comparison slides in the Commons.
Boris Johnson today insisted "we do not yet have that data" and Sir Keir "will have to contain his impatience”.
He added: "I’m not going to try to pretend to the House that the figures, when they are finally confirmed, are anything other than stark and deeply, deeply horrifying.
"This has been an appalling epidemic.”
But Sir Keir said: “I’m baffled. It’s not me seeking to draw the comparisons, these are the government slides that have been used for seven weeks to reassure the public.”
