Scotland Yard has said it could now investigate a Christmas quiz held in Downing Street during lockdown, after a new photograph of Boris Johnson attending the event emerged.
Meanwhile, detectives probing alleged breaches of Covid-19 regulations in Downing Street and Whitehall are to begin contacting more than 50 attendees this week.
On Wednesday afternoon, The Daily Mirror published the new picture of the gathering on December 15, 2020.
The prime minister can be seen in a room with three people, apparently hosting a virtual quiz with others taking part online.
One person is wearing a Christmas hat, another has purple and pink tinsel draped around their neck.
There is an open bottle of champagne on the table and a half-eaten packet of crisps.
Covid rules in London at the time banned two or more people from different households from mixing indoors.
The police are investigating 12 parties or gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall held during England’s lockdowns.
But the December 15 quiz is not currently one of them.
Following the publication of the photograph, the Met said in a this could change.
“The MPS previously assessed this event and determined that on the basis of the evidence available at that time, it did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation. That assessment is now being reviewed,” the Met said.
Official guidance at the time said: “Although there are exemptions for work purposes, you must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
Later on Wednesday, the Met said officers will send formal questionnaires to more than 50 people, starting by the end of this week, in relation to eight dates that are being investigated between May 20 2020 and April 16 2021.
The force added the inquiry has been named Operation Hillman.
“This document, which asks for an account and explanation of the recipient’s participation in an event, has formal legal status and must be answered truthfully,” the Met said.
“Recipients are informed that responses are required within seven days. In most cases contact is being made via email.”
Asked to describe what is happening in the picture published by the Mirror, a spokeswoman for the PM said earlier: “It was a virtual quiz.
“But as Sue Gray said in her report, she was unable to set out full details of those events the Met are not looking into, but as the PM repeated today, as soon as the inquiries are over we will publish in full what Sue Gray reports.”
Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s hostile former chief adviser, tweeted: “there’s waaaaay better pics than that floating around, incl in the flat.”