Boris Johnson has condemned the “despicable harassment” and “intimidation” of professor Chris Whitty as a video circulating on social media showed him being grabbed by two men in a London park.
The prime minister said the government would “not tolerate” the actions after the clip – lasting around 20 seconds – prompted messages of support for England’s chief medical officer from MPs and members of the public.
The clip shows professor Whitty appearing visibly uncomfortable as he is grabbed by two men in St James’ Park, who then follow him again, grinning, in an attempt to take a photo with him.
During the pandemic Mr Whitty has gone from a position of relative obscurity in Whitehall to one of the government’s most recognisable figures, providing updates to millions of people across dozens of No 10 press conferences on Covid-19.
“I am shocked at seeing the despicable harassment of chief medical officer Chris Whitty,” Mr Johnson said on Tuesday.
“I condemn the behaviour of these thugs. Our hardworking public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.”
It was not immediately clear when the incident took place, or who made the video, but a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of a video being shared online showing an incident in St James’ Park.
“Officers spoke to all those involved at the time and their details were taken. We are in contact with the victim and the circumstances continue to be investigate.”
Priti Patel also told Times Radio she was “horrified” and said the government was also speaking to Mr Whitty “to look at what we can do to support him”.
Pressed on whether he needed police protection, the home secretary added: “I can’t speak about that, but it’s important we make sure Chris is given the right kind of support.
“It is terrible to see an important public figure, someone who has day in day out been serving our country in the way in which he has to keep us safe being subject to just appalling abuse.”
But asked whether Mr Whitty should be given protection, Labour’s shadow minister Jim McMahon went further, saying: “I think he ought to, yeah, absolutely.
“He is a very senior member of the civil service, he’s been very public facing and we know from anti-vaccination people, who don’t believe that Covid is real, people who react against any intervention that’s meant to keep us safe, they do channel a lot of that anger towards Chris Whitty and that’s got to be recognised.”
Describing the video that circulated on social media on Monday evening as “outrageous”, he told Sky News: “My hope and expectation is that he and other very public facing scientists and other professionals have had the proper security review that they deserve.
“MP’s get it, ministers get it, recognising that if you are in the public eye, particularly at a time when tensions are heightened at the time of a pandemic, then absolutely the review should have been carried out. It’s a question for me why he is walking from building to building alone, recognising the heightened public tension.”
It is not the first time that Prof Whitty or other senior officials have faced harassment. In footage shared online in February, Prof Whitty was harassed by Covid conspiracy theorists in Westminster, central London.
Last week Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, was verbally abused by an anti-lockdown protester as he walked into a government building by a protester.
