Woman who lost relatives to Covid calls for PM to resign

Jane Roche lost her father Vince Pettitt and older sister within a week of each other

A woman whose father and sister died during the first lockdown has called for the prime minister to resign after a report into Downing Street parties.

Jane Roche, from Birmingham, was at her parent's funeral on the day one alleged party was held.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray has blamed a "failure of leadership" for allowing parties to take place in Downing Street when the country was under strict lockdown.

Mr Johnson has apologised.

Mrs Roche lost her father and sister to Covid within five days of each other in April 2020.

Only six people could attend their funerals and she learnt on Monday that whilst she laid her father to rest, a party was happening in Downing Street, BBC Midlands Today reported.

She said: "We weren't allowed to have a minister. The funeral director sort of advised against that we couldn't have an organist.

"It just makes me really angry to think they put the rules out there for everybody.

"Everybody sacrificed so much and the fact that they've gone against the rules that they set... it's unbelievable really".

The community worker, who is calling for a public inquiry, said Mr Johnson had apologised, "but it's not sincere at all, it's like he's got no feeling".

She stated: "The fact that he's... gone against the rules that he set, I think he should resign."

Only six people could attend the funerals of Mrs Roche's father and sister

Ms Gray investigated 16 separate gatherings.

Mr Johnson said he accepted the findings in full, as he faced questions and criticism from MPs.

Conservative MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi said he "completely" understood anger that people would feel and he suffered "a great loss, more than one actually, during lockdown and during Covid".

But he said he was backing Mr Johnson because he believed "this is the right thing to do for the country"

Mr Longhi stated the prime minister had said again on Monday that he was sorry and the Dudley North MP had to look at Mr Johnson's "track record".

He said: "I have to look at what might come from not supporting the prime minister... You can see what he has done in terms of wrapping his arms around the country and saving people's lives."