A UK government advisor has resigned tonight after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules to meet his married lover, it has been claimed.
Neil Ferguson who was instrumental in advising Prime Minister Boris Johnson to put Britain into lockdown has stepped down from his senior role.
Ferguson sat on the government's Sage committee, which provides ministers on responses to the pandemic.
He also sat on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG).
He is believed to have resigned from both groups following the news of his rule break.
Nicknamed "Professor Lockdown" he is an infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London.
Ferguson said he believed he was immune to the virus, after self isolating with symptoms in March.
He told the Telegraph: "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."
"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."
A Government spokesman confirmed Prof Ferguson's resignation.
Last month Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, resigned amid a backlash for not following her own rules by twice vising her family's holiday home in Fife.
She had been at the forefront of the Scottish Government message that all Scots should stay at home and only leave for an essential purpose.
But the 51-year-old was pictured visiting a holiday home in Fife with her family - which led to Police Scotland later issuing her a warning at her Edinburgh home.
She then confessed she had also visited the holiday home with her husband the previous weekend.
