Professor Chris Whitty manhandled by two men and 'disgusting' video of 'thugs' is condemned by minister
It is the second time this year social media footage has emerged of Professor Whitty being harassed by members of the public.
Mobile phone footage has emerged of Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, being manhandled by two men in the street.
The video, which appeared on Twitter, has been condemned by vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi, who tweeted: "This is disgusting and these thugs must be found and charged.
"Zero tolerance for harassing a public servant."
The footage shows Professor Whitty struggling to free himself from the men's grasp as they cling on to him, laughing and posing for the camera.
Prof Whitty manages to walk a few steps away, but the men hold onto him again as he crosses a road.
Eventually, a voice - thought to be from a passer-by - can be heard telling the men to "leave this gentleman alone".
In a statement the Metropolitan Police said: "We're aware of a video being shared online showing an incident in St James's Park.
Officers spoke to all those involved at the time and their details were taken.
"We are in contact with the victim and the circumstances continue to be investigated."
It is not clear when the incident took place, but Sky News has asked Downing Street for a response to the video.
Prof Whitty, a physician and epidemiologist, has played a key role in the response to the COVID pandemic in the UK, acting as chief medical adviser to the prime minister and his team and often appearing at government news conferences.
He replaced Dame Sally Davies in the role in late 2019, just months before coronavirus first emerged in China.
Prof Whitty was previously chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and worked on the Ebola outbreak of 2014.
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