A man who shares a birthday with Boris Johnson has said it was "galling" that the Prime Minister celebrated his birthday with a gathering in Downing Street during the UK's first national lockdown.

No 10 has conceded staff “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room on the afternoon of June 19 2020 following a meeting after it was alleged 30 people attended, shared cake, and sang “happy birthday” to the PM, despite social mixing indoors being banned.

Angus Proud from Barrowford shares a birthday with the Prime Minister and said it was “galling” to hear the allegations that Mr Johnson had celebrated it while others were following restrictions.

Mr Proud tweeted a picture on Monday of himself enjoying a quiet birthday drink on June 19 2020, which he spent with his partner.

“On June 19 2020, I had a night out(doors) for my birthday. Just the two of us,” he tweeted.

Mr Proud, 68, said: “I was never a fan of Johnson, but I did think in March and April that year that he got the country on the right path.

“To find out now that he was leading his own life by his own rules is pretty galling.

“We had a pleasant enough day, but not the day we could have had.

“And that’s fine when you know we’re all in it together.

“But we weren’t, were we?”

Mr Proud said that he “absolutely” believed he was doing the right thing by having a quiet birthday, and said “it felt like a national effort to us”.

He added: “Usually I would be doing something on my birthday, nothing big, maybe a meal out with family or friends, but in 2020, obviously, we were all following the rules.

“The two of us went for a stroll locally, had a few phone calls and then dinner for two at home.”

Downing Street said staff “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room after a meeting, in response to a report from ITV News which suggested up to 30 people attended what it described as a birthday party.

But the broadcaster suggested the Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, had organised the surprise get-together complete with a chorus of “happy birthday” on the afternoon of June 19 2020, when indoor social mixing was banned.