Whitty says ‘young lad’ who harangued him in street ‘will become a model citizen like Captain Tom’

Chief medical officer said he thought nothing of the incident

England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said he "didn't think anything of" being catcalled by a young man while walking in Westminster, footage of which has being widely shared on social media.

"The odd young lad, showing off, occasionally happens," he told a Downing Street briefing.

"I didn't think anything of it frankly. I was very surprised it was picked up by the media at all as anything of any importance.

"I'm sure he'll become a model citizen in due course and hopefully more like Captain Tom, who is the kind of person who I think much more exemplifies the spirit of the UK."

The government adviser, who also recently spent time treating Covid patients at the London hospital where he practices medicine, was filmed in the street by a young man who accused him of "lying about the Covid cases".  

The footage, taken as Prof Whitty appeared to queue at a food stall in Westminster, was later uploaded to video sharing site Tik Tok.  

On Wednesday, Downing Street condemned the verbal attack on Prof Whitty as "unacceptable".

Prime minister Boris Johnson's official spokesperson said: "Chris Whitty is an outstanding public servant who has worked incredibly hard and tirelessly to help steer us through what has been a very, very challenging time over the past year.

"And it is clearly unacceptable that somebody who has done so much is being subject to this sort of behaviour."