Boris Johnson has backed his top aide Dominic Cummings over allegations he breached lockdown restrictions.

The Prime Minister has been urged to sack Mr Cummings after reports surfaced that the 48-year-old made a second trip to County Durham, where his family lives, despite stringent social restrictions being in place.

Boris Johnson gave a public show of support to embattled aide Dominic Cummings, saying he acted with “responsibly and legally and with integrity”.

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The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference: “I have had extensive face-to-face conversations with Dominic Cummings and I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus – and when he had no alternative – I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent.

“And I do not mark him down for that.”

He added “some” of the allegations about Dominic Cummings’ behaviour during self-isolation were “palpably false”.

“Though there have been many other allegations about what happened when he was in self-isolation and thereafter, some of them palpably false, I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.”

The Prime Minister’s defence of Dominic Cummings came after he acknowledged the damage the allegations had the potential to do.

He said the “big question” that was being asked was “is this Government asking you – the people, the public – to do one thing, while senior people here in Government do something else?”

“Have we been asking you to make sacrifices, to obey social distancing – stay at home – while some people have been basically flouting those rules and endangering lives.”

He said his conversations with Mr Cummings today were “because I take this matter so seriously”.