Nottingham's own Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has been plunged into the spotlight over claims he went against government advice and went out for a curry.
The Daily Mail reports that the deputy chief medical officer went out for a meal on March 16 - just hours after Boris Johnson warned Londoners to avoid restaurants to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The paper claims he went to Pakhtoon Restaurant in London's West End for a meal of tarka dal, basmati rice and lamb seekh kebab and claimed the £21.77 back on the taxpayer.
The country's lockdown did not begin until March 23, when Britons were ordered to stay at home and non-essential retail was shut.
His career has so far encompassed pharmaceutical giants SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline), Roche and Sanofi-Pasteur, a stint as Head of the Pandemic Influenza Office at the UK Health Protection Agency (now Public Health England).
He has also lectured for a number of years at the University of Nottingham.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told Nottinghamshire Live: "Having worked from 7am that morning, Professor Van Tam ate a meal alone before continuing to work on the pandemic response.
"Professor Van Tam does not live in London and is therefore required to stay overnight on occasion when working very long hours or when handling particularly sensitive topics."
