Matt Hancock slammed Professor Neil Ferguson’s lockdown breach with lover – one year before ‘affair’ claims

Matt Hancock controversially blasted Professor Neil Ferguson over his Covid-19 lockdown breach – just a year before claims of his own affair.

Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, admitted he made an ‘error of judgment’ by meeting up with Antonia Staats, who lives with her husband and children.

Prof Ferguson, the scientist whose modelling finally prompted Boris Johnson to order the first lockdown, quit SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) after a woman visited him at his home amid the tightest restrictions.

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The health secretary said he “made the right decision to resign” and claimed to have been left “speechless” by the scientist’s “extraordinary” behaviour.

Mr Hancock even suggested police action by the Met.

He said: “I back the police here.

“They will take their decisions independently from ministers, that’s quite right, it’s always been like that.

“Even though I have got a clear answer to what I think, as a minister the way we run the police is that they make decisions like this.

“So I give them their space to make that decision, but I think he took the right decision to resign.”

He told Sky News’ Sophie Ridge on Sunday: “We should all be careful, we all know the risks. Outside is safer than inside, so even though you can from tomorrow, meet up inside, it’s still better to meet up outside.

“Of course there are people who have been yearning to have some physical contact.

“You should do that carefully.

“If you’ve had both jabs more than two weeks ago, that’s much safer.”