Boris Johnson was not in Downing Street that day, a No 10 spokesperson said (Picture: Getty Images/PA)
Boris Johnson was not in Downing Street that day, a No 10 spokesperson said (Picture: Getty Images/PA)

Downing Street staff who partied the night away at Number 10 during lockdown sent one reveller out with a suitcase to fetch more bottles of wine, it is claimed.

Advisers and civil servants are accused of drinking into the early hours of the morning on April 16, 2021, and dancing in the basement of Boris Johnson’s home.

Eyewitnesses say that staff boogied to music DJ’d by special adviser Shelley Williams-Walker, who is yet to deny the claim.

One person who was there that night said she was nicknamed ‘DJ SWW’ in reference to her initials.

Some people ‘worried there was too much wine spilling on the basement carpet’, while one person broke a child’s swing belonging to the Prime Minister’s son Wilf’, the Telegraph reports.

The room beneath the main suite of ground floor offices had limited ventilation – putting partygoers at greater risk of spreading Covid-19.

Staff are said to have held not just one, but two parties at Downing Street on that date – one day before the Queen sat alone during Prince Philip’s funeral.

Review of the Year 2021. File photo dated 17/04/21 of Queen Elizabeth II during the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Berkshire. Issue date: Tuesday December 21, 2021. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
The parties were held one day before the Queen sat all by herself at Prince Philip’s funeral (Picture: PA)

The country was in step-two of its ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown, meaning indoor mixing was still banned.

At the time, the Government’s guidance read: ‘You must not socialise indoors except with your household or support bubble. You can meet outdoors, including in gardens, in groups of six people or two households.’

Boris Johnson was not in Downing Street that day, a Number 10 spokesman said. He had left for his country home of Chequers on the Thursday evening and stayed there through to Saturday.

One of the April 16 bashes was to mark the departure of the PM’s director of communications James Slack, who was leaving to become deputy editor at The Sun newspaper, it is claimed.

The other leaving do – the one in the basement – was for one of Johnson’s personal photographers and was attended mainly by younger members of staff, according to reports.

Witnesses say excessive alcohol was drunk and that both parties were said to have merged in the garden as the evening went on, making a group of 30.

Mr Slack has acknowledged the party took place and apologised, admitting it ‘should not have happened at the time that it did’.

In a statement, he added: ‘I am deeply sorry, and take full responsibility’ but declined to comment any further while a civil service-led investigation is being carried out.’

Claims of a second party in the basement of Number 10 have not been confirmed nor denied by officials.

Boris Johnson's former director of communication James Slack
Staff gathered at Number 10 to say farewell to the PM’s director of communications James Slack, who was leaving to become deputy editor at The Sun newspaper (Picture: REX)

A Downing Street spokesperson said of Mr Slack’s farewell event: ‘On this individual’s last day he gave a farewell speech to thank each team for the work they had done to support him, both those who had to be in the office for work and on a screen for those working from home.’

The Prime Minister has faced calls to resign after finally admitting in the Commons to attending a ‘bring your own booze’ party at No 10 on May 20, 2020.

He apologised and acknowledged the public ‘rage’ over the incident, but told MPs he was sure it was a ‘work event’.

Despite the PM’s admission, the Metropolitan Police is still declining to investigate.

A spokesperson for the force said it does not investigate Covid-19 legislation breaches ‘when they are reported long after they are said to have taken place’.

They continued: ‘However, if significant evidence suggesting a breach of the regulations becomes available, officers may review and consider it.’

Senior Whitehall civil servant Sue Gray is leading an investigation into a number of alleged Downing Street lockdown parties and could report back as early as next week.

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