THE most senior police officer in Durham has been asked to investigate whether Dominic Cummings broke the law during his trip to the county.
The Downing Street aide has come under fire after it emerged he travelled more than 260 miles from his home in Islington while his wife had coronavirus symptoms.
Now acting Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner for Durham, Steve White, has written to the county's police chief constable Jo Farrell asking her to investigate "any potential breach of the law or regulations in this matter at any juncture".
In a statement, Mr White said he had made the decision after a "plethora of additional information" had been circulating over the weekend.
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He said: "I am confident that thus far, Durham police has responded proportionately and appropriately to the issues raised concerning Mr Cummings and his visit to the County at the end of March.
"It is clear however that there is a plethora of additional information circulating in the public domain which deserves appropriate examination.
"I have today written to the Chief Constable, asking her to establish the facts concerning any potential breach of the law or regulations in this matter at any juncture. It is vital that the Force can show it has the interests of the people of County Durham and Darlington at its heart, so that the model of policing by consent, independent of government but answerable to the law, is maintained.
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“It will be for the Chief Constable to determine the operational response to this request and I am confident that with the resources at its disposal, the Force can show proportionality and fairness in what has become a major issue of public interest and trust.”
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