Durham Police has said that it is investigating Dominic Cummings' trip to the county during lockdown at the 'highest levels'.

The force says that the top aide's journey from London is being considered as a 'critical incident' and that the reason for treating it as such a high priority is due to the potential reputational damage the force is facing. 

The Times reports that Mr Cummings is being investigated for alleged breaches of lockdown law.

It will also assess whether or not he broke the highway code by driving when his vision may have been impaired by Covid-19. Gold Group, the police's version of Cobra, will discuss the case and how to proceed.

Detectives will track the movements of Mr Cummings' car and have already questioned a key witness.






Dominic Cummings (pictured in Downing Street today) is facing backlash over his trip to Durham 







Durham Police are treating the investigation as a highest priority amid fears over damage to its reputation







The Durham home of Dominic Cummings' parents where he travelled during lockdown, sparking allegations he had breached lockdown rules 













Pictured is the County Durham beauty spot Barnard Castle, near where Mr Cummings drove to on April 12. He claims the 30-mile journey was to test his eyesight, which is being probed by police as a potential breach of the Highway Code.










Durham Police is worried about its reputation after it was included in the political row.

It found itself at the centre of the controversy after saying in a statement that it gave advice on lockdown guidelines and tour phượng hoàng cổ trấn self-isolation when officers visited Mr Cummmings' father on March 31.  

On Sunday the force backtracked, saying that officers only gave security advice after learning that Mr Cummings was coming from London with his four-year-old son and wife.   

Ex-Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Peter Fahy said the PM's adviser would have been turned back if he was caught going between London and Durham.

Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales John Apter and Surrey Police also warned of the danger of hitting the roads with impaired vision.

Mr Cummings has come under fire for his 60-mile round trip to the beauty spot with his wife Mary Wakfield and four-year-old son on April 12.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove admitted he has also driven with bad eyesight as he leapt to the defence of his close friend this morning.












Dominic Cummings (pictured today) has come under fire for his 60-mile round trip to the County Durham beauty spot with his wife Mary Wakfield and four-year-old son on April 12













Ex-Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Peter Fahy (pictured) said the PM's adviser would have been turned back if officers had pulled him over


Sir Peter said officers were 'frustrated' by the Cummings case, adding it may hinder policy with the rules 'now very confused'.

He told Radio 4's Today programme: 'Clearly, number one, that's ill-advised as a means of testing your eyesight as to whether you're fit to drive, but again it's hard to see - unless there's some justification that that was to take daily exercise - how that was justified.'

Asked if it was a criminal offence, Sir Peter replied: 'It certainly appears to be against the Highway Code. It's not the way to test your eyesight, and put potentially other people in danger.'