TWO people died with coronavirus in the Maldon district on the day of an alleged Downing Street Christmas party.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims staff broke lockdown rules by holding a party at Number 10 last year, and told MPs he was “furious” about footage apparently showing aides joking about it.

Mr Johnson apologised for the offence caused by the leaked video but insisted he had been repeatedly assured “there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken” on December 18.

Figures from the UK coronavirus daily dashboard show two deaths occurred in Maldon on that date last year.

There were also 81 positive Covid-19 cases recorded in the area that same day.

And 192 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals across the East of England on December 18 – among over 1,600 throughout England.

The Prime Minister’s intervention followed a week of official insistence that no party took place when London was under Tier 3 restrictions – despite reports staff drank alcohol and exchanged 'Secret Santa' gifts.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Prime Minister’s apology raises more questions than answers as he had been “caught red-handed”.

Mr Johnson's adviser and former press secretary Allegra Stratton emotionally resigned after leaked footage showed her laughing as she appeared to rehearse answers to questions over a lockdown-busting Christmas party.

Statistics published by the National Police Chiefs' Council reveal a total of 124 fixed penalty notices were issued by Essex Police for breaches of Covid-19-related laws between November 17 and December 20 last year.

They included one for holding a gathering of more than 30 people.

By December 22 – the day the leaked video was apparently filmed – separate figures from the Department of Health and Social Care reveal more than a quarter of care homes in England were no longer permitting residents to receive visitors as Covid-19 infection levels rose.