A professor who worked on the UK's coronavirus lockdown plans broke the rules to reportedly meet a lover.
Neil Ferguson, nicknamed "Professor Lockdown", is believed to have resigned from his post as a senior government advisor over the social distancing breach.
According to Mirror Online, it was Professor Ferguson's advice that prompted Boris Johnson to put Britain in lockdown as a member of the government's Sage committee, which provides advice to ministers on their response to the pandemic.
He also sat on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG).
He is understood to have resigned from both bodies.
Professor Ferguson is an infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said he believed he was immune to the virus, after self isolating with symptoms in March.
He leads the team that produced research claiming more than 500,000 people would die from the virus in the UK unless lockdown restrictions were introduced.
Since then, it has been claimed that, during lockdown, his lover travelled across London on two occasions to spend time with the expert.
Speak to the Telegraph, he said: "I accept I made an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action.
"I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in SAGE [the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies].
“I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms."
He added: "I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing to control this devastating epidemic.
“The Government guidance is unequivocal, and is there to protect all of us."
On March 18, Professor Ferguson said he was self-isolating after developing a dry cough and fever.
