Bradford stories analysed on Sue Gray gathering report dates

These dates are when rules are alleged to have been broken - focusing on gatherings for different occasions.

While there are a dozen dates listed, Ms Gray was looking into a total of 16 alleged gatherings, with some of those reportedly taking place on the same day.

The Met Police is itself investigating 12 of those alleged gatherings, with the force deeming the information available about four of the other events to not “have reached the threshold for criminal investigation”.

For the 12 listed dates – both those under investigation by police and those that are not - The T&A has taken a look at what exactly was going on in Bradford, when parliamentary officials were allegedly taking part in these gatherings.

GATHERING ONE - May 15, 2020

The first date relates to a photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of 10 Downing Street, but is not being investigated by the Met Police.

Boris Johnson had just announced conditional plans for lifting lockdown at this point.

In Bradford, one of the city’s most popular events – the Dragonboat Festival – was fully cancelled, after initially being postponed until September due to Covid-19.

The council also began opening car parks up for green spaces throughout the district, but Richard Flinton, The Chief Executive of North Yorkshire County Council, discouraged visitors from outside his county until they could welcome them properly.

While some restrictions were easing, Bradford Council revealed it was “not yet possible” to change the rules for funerals in the city, despite Calderdale and Kirklees Councils allowing up to 10 mourners at funeral services.

On the sport front, Bradford City were feeling positive they could plan for the 2020/21 season, after clubs unanimously indicated in a meeting with the EFL that the suspended campaign should be stopped.

GATHERING TWO - May 20, 2020

Just five days later Downing Street staff were in the building’s garden area again for a gathering, the infamous "bring your own booze" event.

Bradfordians were taking advantage of the hottest day of the year, flocking to parks and public spaces to enjoy the easing of lockdown in a socially-distanced manner.

The most striking image of the day came at the Mirror Pool, where a topless man basked in the sun’s rays on a wooden platform at the side of the dry, empty pool which would usually have been full of families playing in the fountains.

Meanwhile, schools were contemplating following Government guidance and partially reopening on June 1.

Finally, a drunk woman from Bramley was sent to jail for a year after she coughed at six police officers and threatened to infect them with coronavirus.

GATHERING THREE - June 18, 2020

Fast-forward a month on there was a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a private secretary from 10 Downing Street.

This reported event was going on while Kirklees was in the grips of a Covid-19 outbreak.

Schools had now reopened, as had many non-essential shops, but the Kober meat factory in Cleckheaton – which supplies Asda – was forced to close for a week after a number of staff members tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, a number of businesses announced they would be leaving Sunbridgewells amid a dispute with management.

Some traders had been concerned after receiving a letter regarding Covid business grants, with one tenant describing it as the “straw that broke the camel's back".

Elsewhere, tips were issued for places of worship to reopen, and it was announced the Bradford 10k was going virtual for 2020.

GATHERING FOUR - June 19, 2020

A day later there was a gathering held in the Cabinet room of 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister’s birthday.

The Kober factory outbreak was continuing to rumble in Cleckheaton, with a picture emerging that claimed to show staff from the meat factory sparking a social-distancing debate.

One of our MPs – Naz Shah for Bradford West – was the subject of a horrific tweet from Tory activist, Theodora Dickinson, who said the Bradford-born MP should “go back to Pakistan” – she was suspended by the Conservatives for her comment.

Welcome to Yorkshire alos launched its tourism recovery plan, while members of the public in Bradford were invited to join a mass zoom call, hosted by Leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, to see how the district had responded to the coronavirus crisis – another sign of the times.

GATHERINGS FIVE AND SIX - November 13, 2020

The next date on the list came five months later, and included two events: a gathering in the 10 Downing Street flat and a gathering in 10 Downing Street on the departure of a certain, Dominic Cummings – Boris Johnson’s chief advisor at the time.

At this time, the country had been plunged into a second lockdown, just over a week earlier.

The biggest news in Bradford that day was that serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, from Bingley, died in hospital at the age of 74, from Covid-19.

There were pleas across the country to keep the focus on remembering the victims, in the wake of his death, and the T&A made sure this was the case.

Meanwhile, top Bradford pharmacist, Dr Mahendra Patel, declared the coming weeks as a “test of character”, ahead of a potential “triple whammy” of festivities.

He said there was a risk many people would "relax" for Diwali festivities, Christmas and the New Year period and the easing of lockdown.

Just under two weeks later, Boris Johnson would announce up to three households could meet up during a five-day Christmas period between December 23 and 27; although this was ultimately scrapped.

Lockdown-flouting hair salon - Quinn Blakey Hairdressing in Oakenshaw – was seemingly closed on this day, despite causing a stir that week by failing to comply with the Covid-19 regulations at the time and staying open.

Finally, breweries in the Bradford district spoke about their struggles throughout the pandemic, with Tim Dewey, chief executive at Timothy Taylor’s in Keighley, revealing the first lockdown was like a “guillotine”, that came down and cost the company £500,000 in beer that couldn’t be drunk.

It came amid a Government U-turn to allow pubs to sell takeaway pints during the second lockdown.

GATHERING SEVEN - November 27, 2020

This is the second date the Met are not investigating, whenthere was a gathering in Downing Street on the departure of another special adviser.

The landscape in terms of rules was essentially identical to the previous date, but the country was just days away from the second national lockdown being replaced by a stricter three-tier system.

The biggest stories in Bradford were a crash and a firearms discharge.

Two men miraculously escaped with just minor injuries after their car hit a lamppost and flipped over onto its roof, just outside Thornton Recreation Centre that evening.

Meanwhile, the T&A reported on gunshots being heard the night before November 27, on Halcyon Way, in the Canterbury area.

Damage was caused to a car on the street, and this was consistent with a gun being fired, according to police.

Finally, an employee at the Royal Mail delivery office in Keighley tested positive for COVID-19.

The company carried out an "intensive clean" of the premises following the news.

GATHERING EIGHT - December 10, 2020

A gathering was held in the Department of Education ahead of the Christmas break – the department was then run by University of Bradford alumni Gavin Williamson.

The Met Police are not investigating this gathering. At the time, London was in Tier 2 restrictions meaning gatherings of more than two people were banned except when necessary for work, and under no circumstances should work Christmas parties have taken place.

In Bradford, it was also the day that the demolition of the flats in Manchester Road, which dominated the city centre’s skyline, began, to make way for a new housing scheme.

Three teens from Bradford were locked up for their parts in a terrifying knifepoint robbery at a flat in Keighley, and Bradford Council was also left red-faced after being forced to U-turn on its decision to hand out fines of £160 to funerals for every five minutes they run over their allocated time.

GATHERING NINE - December 15, 2020

The next gathering was in Number 10 when an online Christmas quiz was held; the Met Police are also not investigating this event, and the rules were the same as on December 10.

On this day, an inquest concluded into the disappearance of a Bradford man in 2007, declaring he had been unlawfully killed. It was also the day Azeem Rafiq submitted a claim against Yorkshire County Cricket Club following his astonishing racism allegations.

More light-heartedly, The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright signed for Crawley Town on the eve of their game against Bradford City – he’d famously go on to make his debut in Crawley’s historic FA Cup win over Leeds a month later.

GATHERINGS 10, 11 AND 12 - December 17, 2020

The next date under investigation is when three alleged illegal gatherings took place; an online Christmas quiz in the Cabinet Office, and gatherings for the departures of two senior officials. Kate Josephs, Covid Taskforce director, has since apologised over her leaving do.

On this day, London – like Bradford – was in Tier 3 restrictions, meaning indoor mixing of more than two households was banned and social distancing was required in offices.

It was also the day Bradford was confirmed to spend Christmas in Tier 3 restrictions, much to the annoyance of almost everyone in the district. A local school also revealed it had seen a large spike in mental health issues among its pupils due to the pandemic.

A desperate drug addict was also jailed after a terrifying armed raid where he robbed a betting shop wielding a knife.

GATHERING 13 - December 18, 2020

A day later another gathering took place, an alleged Christmas party in Number 10.

In Bradford, a paedophile was jailed after being caught in a sting by an undercover police officer, and a failed businessman was jailed for laundering £5m in drug money for a Bradford crime gang.

It was the same day Boris Johnson refused to rule out a third national lockdown as cases were skyrocketing due to the emergence of the Alpha variant first seen in Kent. Speaking of the third lockdown…

GATHERING 14 - January 14, 2021

The next gatherings were held in No 10 for the departure of two private secretaries. At the time, the nation was in lockdown, which meant no socialising and stay at home orders were in place.

In Bradford, heavy snow was causing major disruption, with schools shut, roads impassable and other transport links badly affected, along with slips and falls aplenty.

Bradford Cathedral closed its doors to public worship to stem the spread of Covid-19, while faith leaders joined hands to urge the Bradford public to get vaccinated as soon as they possibly could.

GATHERINGS 15 and 16 - April 16, 2021

The final gatherings being investigated by Sue Gray – and the Met Police – are the infamous alleged parties the night before the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.

There were two gatherings, two separate leaving dos, both in No 10. At one, it’s alleged a suitcase full of booze was brought back from a local shop and people also played on – and broke – a playset belonging to one of Boris Johnson’s children.

James Slack, former director of communications, apologised for his party, while the other was held for a Downing Street photographer.

On this day in Bradford, the Covid-19 death toll had reached 873, while the district was preparing events to mark the funeral of Prince Philip, ahead of his ceremony where Queen Elizabeth II sat alone as her husband was laid to rest.

It was also a date when Bradford was revealed to have one of the fastest growing infection rates in the country.