A man has been charged with common assault after England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, was accosted in a central London park.
Lewis Hughes, 23, of Wigton Way, Romford, east London, was charged on Thursday evening and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said.
An investigation was launched after Professor Whitty was accosted by a group of men in St James's Park at around 7.20pm on Sunday.
Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds, was shared on social media.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to hit out after a video posted online appeared to show Mr Whitty being harassed.
The video shows two grinning men grabbing Mr Whitty as they shout “Oi oi” and say “One photo please?”.
As Mr Whitty attempts to walk away, the men grab him again, while a voice is heard saying “leave the gentleman alone” before the clip ends.
Hughes said he had lost his job as an estate agent following the incident.
His friend Jonathan Chew, 24, told The Sun: “We didn’t cause any harm to him. We just wanted a selfie.”
The Met said they spoke to Mr Whitty and checked his welfare. He had not suffered any injuries.
They said officers had reviewed the footage and the matter was referred to the Public Order Crime Team.
