Chris Whitty could be put under police protection after being mobbed by two thugs – but told cops NOT to press charges

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PROFESSOR Chris Whitty could be put under police protection after being mobbed by two vile thugs in a London park.

But England’s top medic, who is “leading the war on Covid”, has told cops NOT to press charges – despite shocking video showing him being put in a headlock and shoved.

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Prof Chris Whitty tried in vain to escape the louts’ clutches in St James’s Park, London

Prof Chris Whitty was grabbed and put in a headlock in public

England’s chief medical officer has been dubbed ‘Captain Sensible’ by HOARday Times

Whitty has recently been harassed four times in recent months, including by anti-lockdown protesters who yelled ‘murderer’ outside his house.

And Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed she was looking at “the right kind of support” after the nation’s top doctor was grabbed and shouted at by louts while walking in St James’s Park.

The clip, which has been viewed more than 500,000 times online, shows two idiots cheering, jeering and grabbing hold of the Covid expert.

One of the men can be heard saying “please, sorry one photo”.

The upsetting footage shows the professor’s face turn red with the effort of trying to free himself from their clutches.


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The halfwits then yell ‘oi-oi’ while poking their tongues out at the camera.

The moronic yobs filmed themselves brutally grabbing Whitty in a headlock and shoving him in the street.

Whitty, dressed in a suit, looks concerned as he tries to get away while the thugs repeatedly grab at him.

Labour former minister Lord Rooker said: “If there are no arrests before the end of the day it will just show how useless the Metropolitan Police is under its current leadership.”

Priti Patel confirmed she was looking at ‘the right kind of support’ for Whitty

But a Met Police spokesman said on Tuesday: “We are aware of a video being shared online showing an incident that took place in St James’s Park at around 19.20pm on the evening of Sunday.

“Officers were in the vicinity policing a nearby demonstration and intervened when they saw what was happening.

“They spoke to the victim and checked his welfare.

“He had not suffered any injuries and informed officers that at that time he did not wish to make any allegations. He then went on his way.”

YOBS ‘WARNED BY COPS’

The spokesman said that cops had continued to speak to the two thugs and “recorded their details”.

The idiots were then “robustly warned about their behaviour and ordered to leave the area”, the spokesman added.

Cops have since been “in contact with the alleged victim”.

“The incident has been recorded as a common assault and continues to be investigated by the Met’s Public Order crime team,” a police spokesman said.

Despite the widespread public concern over his security, Whitty reportedly dismissed the yobs’ harassment as “schoolboy behaviour”.

Piers Morgan said it was ‘disgusting’
The Vaccine Minister hit out after the video was shared

But public uproar continues over the harassment of the man dubbed “Captain Sensible” by the Sunday Times for his “central role in directing the twists and turns of the country’s pandemic response”.

PM Boris Johnson led a chorus of public outrage as he condemned the “despicable harassment”.

He slammed the yobs, saying: “I condemn the behaviour of these thugs.

“Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also blasted the clip saying: “This is disgusting behaviour.

“Chris Whitty is a dedicated public servant who has worked tirelessly to help get us through this crisis. The police are right to investigate this harassment.”

Prof Whitty should be applauded for all of his hard work trying to keep on top of a fast-changing pandemic

Whitty was harassed in the street – with cops later investigating the shocking behaviour

England’s top medic is still working at hospital, despite his role during the pandemic

Sajid Javid, the new health secretary, has also condemned the “appalling and totally unacceptable” harassment of Whitty.

He added: “We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour towards our public servants.

“The men behaving in this disgraceful way should be ashamed.”

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: “This is disgusting and these thugs must be found and charged. Zero tolerance for harassing a public servant.”

Former Love Islander, Dr Alex George, now a children’s mental health tsar in government added: “This is absolutely disgusting.

“To accost and man handle a Professor who has given everything for this country. Makes me feel physically sick. What is wrong with people?”

Speaking in the House of Lords, Health Minister Lord Bethell hailed Whitty and deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam as “complete legends”.

He added: “Both of them have been accosted in public. This is completely unacceptable.

“We must look at the security of those that serve us so well. It is a great regret that this has happened.”

Chris Whitty, PM Boris Johnson and Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, during a media briefing in Downing Street

Downing Street said the harassment of Prof Whitty was “completely unacceptable”.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “It is completely unacceptable for hard-working public servants like the chief medical officer and people who are working to save lives in a pandemic – as Chris has done – to face intimidation, harassment or abuse.”

Asked about police protection for the medic, the spokesman replied: “We keep security under constant review but I’m not going to comment on specific arrangements for individuals.”

Piers Morgan also blasted the yobs for being “disgusting”.

Plenty of the TV star’s followers agreed with him too, with one calling it “harassment, assault and also breaching social distancing rules. It’s not banter.

Another Piers’ fan said: “This is so so wrong…that poor man.

“Nobody deserves to be harassed and intimidated like this.”