Veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale has called on the Prime Minister to quit after pictures emerged of him at a boozy Downing Street event during lockdown.

The North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale told Times Radio: “It’s absolutely clear that there was a party, that he attended it, that he was raising a toast to one of his colleagues. And therefore, he misled us from the despatch box. And, honourably, there is one answer.”

Meanwhile, there was also criticism from the Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat.

He told Sky News: "It's very difficult to look at those photographs because they don't give the impression of seriousness that I think we really need in our country. We know that Number 10 was working hard. Of course, they were and they were doing all they could.

"But we also know that people were working incredibly hard in hospitals and care homes and across our country. We know that many people were turning up at times when they were extremely worried. And I'm afraid this doesn't show the level of seriousness that we really need in government."

The photos leaked to ITV have come as the publication of a report into whether there were breaches of lockdown rules at Downing Street and Westminster is imminent.

Downing Street has insisted that the photos were not evidence of transgressions on the rules around social gatherings.

The pictures are thought to be taken at leaving do for adviser Lee Cain in November 2020.

When asked in December whether the gathering had taken place, Mr Johnson denied it had and said all rules were followed.

Sir Roger has been a persistent critic of the Prime Minister and it is not the first time he has taken him to task. He was thought to be the first to submit a formal letter to the 1922 committee requesting a vote of confidence in Mr Johnson.

But he has previously argued against triggering a leadership contest while the Ukraine invasion was taking place.

The photos have also raised questions for the Metropolitan Police who issued some fines to those present at the gathering but not the PM.

The police concluded its investigation into claims about parties last week, which led to 126 fixed penalty notices being issued to 83 individuals for parties on eight separate dates.

The PM received one fine after attending his own birthday celebrations in Downing Street.