WATCH: Police break up illegal party - held at the same time Downing Street had its BYOB party

An exasperated cop is heard asking, "Who’s in charge? No one’s in charge!" as police break up an illegal party - at the exact time of Downing Street’s BYOB bash.

Officers dispersed the crowd in Handsworth at 7.45pm on May 20, 2020, 120 miles away from the Government’s notorious ‘Bring Your Own Booze’ party.

Bodycam footage from the “social gathering” in a cul-de-sac shows one cop ask attendees: “Good evening people, how we doing?

“Who’s in charge? Anyone in charge? No one’s in charge!”

A woman then claims the party is “not a social gathering at all” despite officers seeing dozens of people enjoying music, eating a barbecue and chatting together.

Police managed to persuade the party-goers to return to their homes and gardens and assured the crowd that Covid-19 “is real”.

He tells the cheering crowd: “Covid-19 is real, yeah. The reason we are here is to provide safety for people.

“We need to disperse this group and for people to go about your business.

“This gathering needs to stop. All the best, enjoy the sun elsewhere.”

After several minutes the party-goers leave the area with no fines being imposed by officers and no arrests.

What has been the reaction to the footage so far?

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting tweeted the footage, drawing reference to the Downing Street party.

He said: "We don’t have to imagine what would have happened if anyone else had organised a party of 100 people on the same day as the Downing Street BYOB party.

"Here’s what happened in Handsworth. It’s one rule for them and another rule for everyone else."

Social media users have been quick to draw comparisons with the Downing Street BYOB booze-up.

Writing on Facebook, Peter Roughan said: “If you listen to the audio, the copper could basically be asking what everyone in the country is asking now: ‘Who’s in charge?’

“He had no idea at the time but he was bang on when he answered his own question ‘No one’s in charge.’”

Lisa Howell wrote: “Now we know what all the Downing Street plod were doing when Bojo & co we necking warm wine at Clowning Street!"

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