Imperial scientist Neil Ferguson whose advice led to lockdown being introduced QUITS government role after ‘breaking the restrictions to meet his married lover’
- Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, previously warned UK could see 500,000 deaths if it didn’t implement lockdown
- His advice, through a report he helped produce at Imperial College, is thought to have led to the lockdown
- Prof Ferguson has been a vocal supporter of lockdown, continually telling the public to follow the restrictions
- However, he has now admitted he allowed his married lover to travel across London to visit him at least twice
- Antonia Staats, 38, lives with her husband, in his 30s, and two children in a £1.9 million house in south London
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
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The scientist whose advice led to Boris Johnson introducing lockdown measures to combat coronavirus has resigned from his government role after he breached the restrictions to meet his married lover.
Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, allowed the woman, Antonia Staats, to travel across London to visit him at his home, despite the lockdown, which he has continually stressed is vital in stopping the spread of the killer virus.
Ms Staats, 38, lives with her husband and their children in another house.
The Imperial College epidemiologist leads a team which produced the research that led to lockdown, with their findings suggesting that 500,000 Britons could die without strict restrictions being put in place.
However, despite his repeated demands that the public follow lockdown measures, he himself met with his lover on at least two occasions, according to the Telegraph.
Ms Staats travelled across London from her home in the south of the capital to spend time with the scientist, seeing him just after he had finished two weeks of self-isolation after testing positive for the virus.
Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, allowed the woman, Antonia Staats, to visit him at his home, despite the lockdown. Ms Staats, 38, who lives with her husband and their children in another house, visited the scientist at least twice
Ms Staats is believed to have visited the scientist shortly after he finished self-isolating for two weeks
The first of Ms Staat’s visits to Prof Ferguson was on Monday March 30, a week into coronavirus lockdown.
It coincided with a public warning by Prof Ferguson that the lockdown measures would have to remain until at least June.
Ms Staats, who is a left-wing campaigner, made a second visit to Prof Ferguson on April 8, despite telling friends that she suspected her own husband, an academic in his 30s, had symptoms of coronavirus.
She and her husband live in a £1.9 million home with their two children and are understood to be in an ‘open relationship’.
However, Ms Staats has insisted her actions to visit the scientists are not hypocritical, as she considers the households to be one.
Prof Ferguson said: ‘I accept I made an error of judgment and took the wrong course of action. I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in Sage [the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies].
‘I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus, and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms.
‘I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing to control this devastating epidemic. The Government guidance is unequivocal, and is there to protect all of us.’