The Metropolitan Police says its investigation into parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall which violated COVID-19 guidelines has been concluded, issuing 126 fines.

The police said the fixed penalty notices had been linked to eight events, and were issued to 73 women and 53 men, with some receiving multiple fines.

The identities of those fined have been withheld by the Met, but the full total is understood to include at least one fine each issued to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has paid his £50 ($66) fine and apologised to lawmakers in April, his wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Met Police acting deputy commissioner, Helen Ball, said the investigation cost £460,000.

“When Covid regulations were introduced, the Met was clear that whilst we would not routinely investigate breaches of regulations retrospectively, there may be occasions when it would be appropriate to do so,” Ms Ball said. “The information that we received with regard to the alleged breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall was sufficient to reach our criteria to begin such an investigation.”

The investigation had 12 detectives examine 345 documents, including emails, door logs, diary entries and witness statements, 510 photographs and CCTV images and 204 questionnaires. However, no interviews were conducted. 

The events that breached COVID-19 laws at the start of the pandemic spanned over eight events including the “bring your own booze” Downing Street garden party on 20 May 2020, Mr Johnson’s birthday party on 19 June 2020 and a gathering in the prime minister’s official residence on 13 November that year.