A Conservative MP said he "forgot" to wear a face covering after a member of the public photographed him travelling on a train without wearing one.
Danny Kruger, who was Boris Johnson's former political secretary before his election as Devizes MP at the general election, has apologised after being caught without a mask while on the hour-long train journey to London.
An eagle-eyed Twitter user posted a picture on Saturday of Mr Kruger sitting at a train table wearing earphones, with the caption: "Don’t blame it on the young people Boris (Johnson) when your own party aren’t even following your rules."
Mr Kruger, David Cameron’s former speechwriter, said in a statement: "I boarded an almost empty carriage at Hungerford and quite simply forgot to put on my mask.
"When I got to Paddington I realised my mistake and covered up for the rest of my journey.
"If the person had reminded me rather than taking a photo and posting it on social media I would of course have put on my mask then and there.
"I do apologise for my mistake."
Less than a fortnight before his own memory slip, Mr Kruger – a self-confessed "old friend" of Dominic Cummings – told his constituents in a Facebook message that they "MUST wear a face covering" unless exempt.
Great Western Railway, the train operator that runs the route between Hungerford and Paddington, warns passengers on its website that they face a £100 fine for failing to wear a face covering on its services.
Mr Kruger’s apology comes after the Prime Minister warned last week that the UK was now experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections and announced fines of up to £10,000 for people who test positive for the virus and refuse to self-isolate.
Mr Johnson is preparing to address MPs on Tuesday amid rumours that national lockdown measures banning socialising between two households could be put in place in a bid to arrest the virus’s spread.
It comes as the Government's chief scientific adviser warned Britain could be facing 50,000 new Covid-19 cases a day within weeks if the current rate of infection is not halted.
Sir Patrick Vallance told a televised briefing that the UK could see 200 deaths every day if fast action is not taken to curb the spread of the disease.
Speaking alongside Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick said the “vast majority of the population remain susceptible” to catching coronavirus, and that "speed" and "action" were now needed to tackle the crisis.
