Chris Whitty, England's chief medical adviser, was harassed in the streets by two male suspects.
The video recording was uploaded on Twitter and showed the two men holding onto Whitty who was struggling to break free. The suspects were seen laughing and posing for the camera as they harassed the health official.
Other politicians are condemning the actions of the two men and called the incident "absolutely appalling." Police officers are also investigating the case and are looking for the identity of the suspects involved.
Harassment of Public Servant
During the encounter, Whitty could be seen fleeing the two men who quickly followed him while he was trying to cross the street, continuing to harass him while filming. In the video, a voice could be heard telling the suspects to "leave this gentleman alone."
The Metropolitan Police released a statement after the incident saying they were aware of the video and the incident. The encounter occurred in St. James' Park. Police questioned people at the scene including those involved in the case to gather details of the incident.
Law enforcement also contacted Whitty to take note of his experience while the investigation of the case continued. Authorities were not able to say when the incident took place but the public is eagerly awaiting a statement from Downing Street as its response to the video, Sky News reported.
Unfortunately, it was not the first time that Whitty was harassed by a civilian. Earlier this month, the health adviser was walking down the street when a prominent anti-vaccine activist trailed him and later shouted at him, calling him a "liar."
Last February, a man also called Whitty a liar multiple times while he was waiting in line for his order at a street food stall. The recorded incident sparked widespread criticism of the suspect when the video went viral on social media, The Guardian reported.
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Jonathan Van-Tam, Whitty's deputy, was confronted last week while he was on the streets outside of the Ministry of Defense building. The anti-vaccine activist accused the official of allegedly poisoning Matt Hancock.
Online users posted and shared the recording of the incident on Facebook which showed the activist following Whitty down the street and shouting at him. Downing Street has since criticized the suspect, calling the behavior "appalling."
Appalling Behavior
Nadhim Zahawi, the country's vaccine minister, called the actions of the men "disgusting" and urged law enforcement to find the suspects and bring them to justice. He noted they should be arrested and charged for harassing a public servant, Independent reported.
Nick Gibb, the Minister of State for Schools Standards, said Whitty has done a favorable job as a health adviser amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. He was at the forefront of implementing necessary measures to keep the country's NHS safe and save the lives of citizens across the nation.
When asked if Whitty should be given close protection in public, Gibb said the decision was the responsibility of the security services and Whitty himself.
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