Northampton councillor pictured in selfie on friends' weekend to Dorset while town slips closer to local lockdown

A Northampton borough councillor was pictured on a friends' weekend to Dorset in the same week Northampton's residents were told to "avoid meeting friends from outside your household to avoid a local lockdown".

A picture has been shared online of Nene Valley ward Conservative councillor Luke Graystone at the front of a selfie on a friends' weekend in Dorset in the last week of July.

It was taken in the same week Northamptonshire health chiefs and the leader of the borough council Jonathan Nunn warned residents "action needed to be taken" to avoid a local lockdown.

Councillor Graystone is also the chief of staff to South Northamptonshire's MP Andrea Leadsom and was a local strategist during the December 2019 General Election campaign.

The photo emerged in a story by the Rutland & Stamford Mercury, who reported on the picture because it also featured the leader of South Kesteven District Council Kelham Cooke and who has since apologised for "unintentionally" breaking social distancing guidelines.

The Mercury also reported meanwhile that Andrea Leadsom said she had accepted Councillor Graystone’s “full and unreserved apology”.

Councillor Graystone told the Chronicle & Echo in a statement: "On a recent visit to Dorset I failed to follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines when standing outdoors for a group photo.

"I recognise the importance of stringently following the Government’s guidelines and in this instance I clearly neglected to do so.

"I offer my sincere and unreserved apologies to the residents of Northampton for not setting the good example I should at what is a very difficult time for so many.”

On July 23, Northampton's residents were given a list of 10 points to be mindful of to reduce the town's Covid-19 transmission rates.It included limiting contact with others outside your household or bubble, keeping two metres from others at all times and using a face-covering where you are less than two metres apart.

in a live Q&A on Thursday (August 6), Northamptonshire Police's Chief Constable Nick Adderley said in his opinion it was "odds on" Northampton would go into a local lockdown and asked local people to obey instructions from health chiefs.