Matt Hancock set up a London Marathon JustGiving page - and was instantly trolled

Matt Hancock has largely managed to keep a low profile since his explosive exit from Government.

The former Health Secretary has been keeping his head down since his affair with aide Gina Coladangelo was graphically revealed to the world.

Now, the disgraced MP has resurfaced in a rather less contentious setting: a London marathon fundraising page for a hospice charity.

However, if he thought he could run away from the public’s opprobrium by doing a good deed, he was sorely mistaken.

The JustGivingpage has, admittedly, raked in more than £2,600 for St Nicholas Hospice Care so far. The downside for Hancock is that many of the donors have accompanied their contributions with biting spoof messages.

They include offerings from the likes of “Martha Hancock” (someone purporting to be his now-estranged wife), “Dom Raab” (not the actual Foreign Secretary), and “Gina” (most definitely not his new partner).

Most of the notes are too explicit to cite here, but here are a few of the less NFSW ones...

One from a person named only as “GTTO” reads: “Love the work that hospices do hate the c*** that Tories do. PS. Don’t grab a woman’s behind [like] that. It’s juvenile.”.

Another, from “Tax Payer”, who pledged £2, says: “I’m donating the pay rise you gave NHS staff in recognition for the self sacrifices they made while you s****ed your PA.”

And a third, who called themselves “Covid-19”, also gave £2, with the message: “Thanks for everything mate!”

Still, at least a couple of donors didn’t accompany their gifts with sharp criticism. Luke Stanley commented simply: “A great cause - good luck Matt!” and Stuart Nielson wrote: “Fantastic effort. Good luck!”

Sharing his fundraising “story” on the webpage, Hancock revealed that this will be his “first London Marathon” and that he’s “already started training.”

His statement reads: “I’ve decided to run the 2021 London Marathon in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care.

“St Nicholas Hospice Care is a fantastic charity working in my constituency of West Suffolk, who look to give help, support and advice to those who are living with long-term and life-threatening illnesses.

“The Hospice sees around 2000 people each year and any money donated will makes [sic] a real difference to people’s lives.”

Indy100 has contacted the charity for comment.

Hancock and his aide-turned-lover Coladangelo Getty Images

Alongside his training, the ex-Cabinet minister has apparently been enjoying some alpine air with his squeeze.

Hancock and Coldangelo have been spotted in the Swiss Alps on what is understood to be their first holiday as a couple.

The pair, who were married at the time their tryst was made public, have both left their respective spouses and, this week, have been seen at a £87-a-night mountain hideaway in the resort of Villars-sur-Ollon, The Independent reports.

They arrived at the resort near Geneva on Tuesday, after driving over from the UK in an apparent attempt to slip under the radar.

The Express newspaper published photos showing the MP wearing a baseball cap while socialising with Coladangelo and a group of other people.

Last month, Hancock was seen on another getaway, this time bodyboarding in Cornwall.

With mountain hikes and watersports all under his belt, this marathon should be a doddle.

Reviving his credibility as a politician, however, may take a bit more time...