Acting Met Police Chief grilled over Partygate after Boris Johnson was fined

Scotland Yard investigated six illegal events Mr Johnson attended and fined others present – but the Prime Minister escaped another sanction.

The Metropolitan Police chief has come under pressure to explain how Boris Johnson “got away” with just one fine in the Partygate scandal.

Acting Commissioner Sir Stephen House said he did not think there was “conclusive evidence” that the Prime Minister had repeatedly broken the rules.

Scotland Yard investigated six illegal events Mr Johnson attended and fined others present – but the Prime Minister escaped another sanction.

However, Sir Stephen insisted his detectives were not swayed by political considerations, such as whether they held Mr Johnson’s political destiny in their hands.

He told the London Assembly’s Police and Criminal Committee: “I don’t think there is clear evidence that the Prime Minister has offended many other times.”

The senior officer added that police “have not shied away” from handing out fines at Downing Street.

He said: “I’m not particularly concerned about what the Prime Minister thinks. I do my work without fear or favor. Like the Met in this situation.”

The Mirror revealed last week that Mr Johnson told colleagues he had been told by Scotland Yard he was only being investigated for two lockdown gatherings at Downing Street.

But Sir Stephen said he was “very confident” that the Met had given no such assurances that individuals would avoid further fines.

He denied that the political sensitivities of the investigation prevented police from imposing further fines for apparent violations.

However, he admitted that some people involved with Partygate did not return their questionnaires, although the “vast majority” did.

He claimed that this “didn’t deter” Scotland Yard from investigating people, adding that it rather “encouraged” them.

The top police officer defended a Downing Street police officer who witnessed the hilarious Christmas party at No 10 but did nothing.

“I think it’s impossible to expect an officer to walk through a room full of people and determine if rules have been broken when it takes 12 experienced detectives to find out,” he said.

Scotland Yard has been criticized for a lack of transparency on Partygate but insisted the decisions made by the detectives were “fact based and reasonable”.

He added: “We have examined whether there is a mandatory exception under the rules of the Assembly, including whether it is reasonably required for labor purposes.

“That’s an important point — some gatherings we decided weren’t work-related, and some we decided were work-related.”

Sir Stephen said there was a “full file of evidence” behind any fine imposed, so if the fine were challenged in court there was a realistic chance of a conviction.