Chris Whitty assault: Man charged after chief medical officer accosted in London park

A man has been charged after England’s chief medical officer was accosted by a group of men in central London.

Professor Chris Whitty was accosted by the group in St James’s Park at around 7.20pm on Sunday.

Lewis Hughes, 23, of Romford, east London, was charged on Thursday evening with common assault, the Metropolitan Police said. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday July 30,

Footage of the incident, which lasts around 20 seconds, shows two grinning perpetrators grabbing Professor Whitty as they shout: “Oi oi” and “One photo please?”.

It was condemned by the Prime Minister and other politicians.

The Met said officers had reviewed the footage and the matter was referred to the Public Order Crime Team.

Prof Whitty has taken a central role in decision making and communications in the Government’s response to the pandemic.

Last month, he was confronted in a street in Oxford by a man accusing him of lying to the public about coronavirus, while in February a man accosted the chief medical officer outside Westminster.