Professor Ferguson (left) is understood to be estranged from his wife Kim Polgreen (right). 'Isn't it? 'Let's keep the focus on the real story -> why & how the UK govt, with all the resources available to it, have allowed the UK to have highest death rate in Europe. One theory points fingers at close friends of Ms Staats, the Left-wing activist who struck up an affair with the married Imperial College scientist. 'I think he should have taken a leaf out of his neighbours' books. France sends two gunboats to Jersey that are smaller and have less... Power struggle: UK plans to counter French threat to pull plug on Jersey by laying under-sea cable to... DANIEL HANNAN: Emmanuel Macron, the new Napoleon? PROFESSOR Neil Ferguson allowed the woman to visit him at home during the lockdown while lecturing the public on the need for strict social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus. He continued: ‘I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus, and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms. Prof Neil Ferguson, a UK government adviser, and his girlfriend broke lockdown rules. He said that in Sweden it was argued that their healthcare system would be overwhelmed 40-fold with nearly 96,000 dying of Covid-19 by the end of the year - and the model predicting a death toll of 40,000 by May 1. Being snared in a sex scandal with a married lover is a classic British newspaper sting. A government coronavirus scientist has resigned from his position after breaking social-distancing rules to meet his married lover. Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Professor Neil Ferguson - who advised Boris Johnson to shut down Britain to stop the spread of COVID-19 - quit over rule-breaking romps at his home with Antonia Staats, 38. Yet few of the activist's friends knew about the affair that made headlines around the world and left Prof Ferguson's reputation in tatters. While serving as an MP, he was managing director of the Greyhound Racing Association. People like Dominic Cummings who played the game so naturally that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had to resign and hand over to someone else because he didn't like his game.'. Laddie Lucas flew Spitfires as one of The Few and was awarded a CBE and the Flying Cross medal. browser that Hold it in London! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Prof Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling helped shape Britain’s coronavirus lockdown strategy, has quit as a government adviser after flouting the … Figures released yesterday had also shown that the British government missed its 100,000 per day testing target for the fourth consecutive day. Chris Lucas' neighbours described the talented academic to MailOnline as a bright, articulate man who enjoys taking part in community activities. We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. But, as... Thomas Cook boss says he is 'confident' that 'core holiday destinations' in the Med will open up in June... What happened to Spring? She has put a message on our lockdown WhatsApp group saying she does not want to talk about it'. Yes, Ferguson failed to follow social-distancing guidelines by having his girlfriend in his home during the lockdown, but he is a scientist, not a politician. latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more, Queen wishes Harry and Meghan’s son Archie happy birthday as he turns two, Meghan’s book ‘shows how unhappy Harry is to lose military titles’, expert says, Police rush to incident near polling station in Scotland as street closed off, Tory candidate upstaged by ‘suck penis’ graffiti on children’s playground, Heavy snow sweeps parts of UK after temperatures plummet to -6°C. Neighbours at Prof Ferguson's former marital home in Oxford were furious at his behaviour. Oldest. Prof Ferguson's resignation comes a month after Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, quit when it was revealed she had … He confirmed that he has now stepped back from Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Could it have been leaked from Downing Street? A man, out for a stroll with his wife, said: 'He's not been around for weeks. The Scottish chief medical officer had to … The damning coronavirus figures prompted social media users to adopt the hashtag #DeadCat as the Johnson government was accused of using the story to distract public opinion in the face of a growing backlash to its crisis-management abilities. Who is Professor Neil Ferguson? Is it possible that this is a dirty tricks campaign by this government? Professor Ferguson had previously appeared in the media to back the government’s strict social-distancing measures. The Imperial College scientist (left) has come under considerable fire after details emerged of his repeated flouting of the lockdown with Antonia Staats (right). it was argued that their healthcare system would be overwhelmed 40-fold with nearly 96,000 dying of Covid-19 by the end of the year - and the model predicting a death toll of 40,000 by May 1. THE scientist who broke his own lockdown advice to see his married lover has been defended - by his mother-in-law. Professor Neil Ferguson … 'I just think he must have thought it was no risk because he'd already had it.'. 'I always enjoy talking to them, especially Chris who is very knowledgeable about Middle Eastern affairs. Professor Neil Ferguson allowed Antonia Staats, 38, to visit his home at least twice during lockdown, despite living elsewhere in London with her husband and children. Speaking on LBC, John Sweeney, former BBC investigative reporter said: 'You've forgotten the simple statistic that appeared this evening, which is that Britain has the highest number of deaths in Europe bar none. The South London home of Antonia Staats, which she shares with her husband Chris and their two children. As well as sharing a passion for her, they also bonded over a love for data science. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. Handsome to the end: Nick Kamen is pictured two years ago after being diagnosed with bone marrow cancer as... Oh, how he made our hearts spin! Research from the epidemiologist and his team at Imperial College London showed that 500,000 people could die if the Prime Minister didn’t act. Inline Feedbacks. Laddie Lucas, who flew Spitfires as one of The Few, and who died in 1998, was married to Jill Addison, the sister of Bader's wife. He speaks about six or seven languages and is an academic at SOAS. We swooned over Nick Kamen's steamy Levi's ad that defined the 80s. Chris Lucas' grandfather is 'Laddie' Lucas. SNOW chaos sweeps the north after -5C freeze overnight while south faces rain...... A beer a day keeps the doctor away! Nicknamed ‘Professor Lockdown’, he had previously been credited with prompting Boris Johnson to impose social-distancing restrictions across the UK in March. Get your need-to-know Ms Staats travelled to Prof Ferguson's house from her £1.9million home in South London on March 30 then again on April 8. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. She then visited his home again on April 8, despite suspecting her husband was showing coronavirus symptoms at the time, The Telegraph reports. Professor Neil Ferguson self-isolated in his London flat for two weeks after announcing on March 18 that he had tested positive for coronavirus. It has also emerged that Mr Lucas Jr is the grandson of Battle of Britain pilot and Tory MP Percy 'Laddie' Lucas, related to the family of flying ace Douglas Bader. No, he's a Poundland Putin. They are a great family. Under the current lockdown restrictions, members of the public are only allowed to have contact with those inside their household, meaning that couples not living together must stay apart. Slowing down our lives sped up our baby dreams: They spent years failing to conceive. PROFESSOR Neil Ferguson has been defended by his mother-in-law after breaking lockdown rules to meet his married lover behind his wife’s back. Professor Lockdown, Neil Ferguson, resigns over sex scandal Jon Rappoport Neil Ferguson, the historically failed computer modeler, who threw darts at a board, and launched a prediction of 500,000 COVID deaths in the UK and two million in the US, and thereby convinced both governments to opt for extreme lockdowns, has resigned his UK government post. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Chrissy Teigen wows in busty orange mini dress as she arrives with daughter Luna to Global Citizen Vax Live concert in Los Angeles. According to reports, she was frank about her affair with Prof Ferguson within her social circle, and insisted that her action to visit him were not hypocritical. Dr Neil Ferguson is acting director of the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium (VIMC), which is based at Imperial College in London. Neil Ferguson, the man who came up with the United Kingdom's social distancing procedures to combat coronavirus, resigned after seeing his married girlfriend Prof Ferguson, 51, asked Antonia Staats, 38, to travel through London at least twice to meet him as he reinforced the government's 'stay at home' message. Antonia Staats (left) and her husband Chris Lucas (right) have been described by neighbours as a 'lovely couple' who have been enjoying home schooling their young children. But he’s not a politician From the Guardian: Last month Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London, told Guardian Unlimited that up to 200 million people could be killed. By Vivek Chaudhary and Jack Wright and Henry Martin For Mailonline, Published: 22:58 BST, 6 May 2020 | Updated: 01:11 BST, 7 May 2020. Professor Neil Ferguson, the UK’s lockdown czar, has been forced to resign after the media revealed his own rule-breaking romantic liaisons. For more stories like this, check our news page. Reports of Britain as Europe's 'sick man' are devastating to the Johnson government, which has sought to project an image of stability during the crisis. Dr Lauren Gavaghan tweeted : 'We are led like sheep to gaze upon Professor Neil Ferguson's private life the day UK #covid19 deaths exceed 32,000. He also played golf in the 1947 and 1949 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, and captained the team in 1949, before later covering sport for the Sunday Express newspaper. ', Social media users have been using the hashtag #DeadCat to accuse the Government of using the story as a distraction tactic, The British public is raising questions over the timing of the disclosure of the scandal. Neil Morris Ferguson OBE FMedSci (born 1968) is a British epidemiologist and professor of mathematical biology, who specialises in the patterns of spread of infectious disease in humans and animals. Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor, appeared to allege that the Ferguson Affair was introduced to 'deflect attention'. Professor Neil Ferguson, who had been praised for his expertise during the pandemic, broke the nationwide order to sneak his married lover into … Commentators from across the political spectrum are questioning the timing of the news that forced Neil Ferguson to quit all his government roles after he met with his married lover for trysts during the lockdown he repeatedly advocated. Thomas Angus Imperial College London Leading Brexiteer and… Prof Ferguson is thought to have met Ms Staat's husband and they share an interest in data science, a friend told the Telegraph. ‘I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing to control this devastating epidemic. Photograph: J-IDEA . An exception to the rules is only allowed for children under the age of 18 whose parents live in different houses. One theory which has been circulating is that the disclosure might have come from those connected to Mr Lucas' parents, who are understood to have extensive links among senior Tories dating back several decades. So who threw Prof Ferguson under the bus? The comments below have not been moderated. PROFESSOR Neil Ferguson, is back in the news after his claim that an earlier lockdown would have halved the death toll was brought up to Prime Minister Boris … Could it have been one of Chris Lucas' friends or relatives? He and his wife Kim, who is involved with the residents' association, are said to be estranged. Your bed's tiny, your pet's a pest and as for your children! STEPHEN. Both he and Antonia are very popular around here and are a big part of our community. He claimed: 'It is a story. Sarah Wollaston, an ex-Liberal Democrat MP for Totnes, also seemed to draw a link between news of the scandal and the latest Covid figures. Happy 2nd birthday, Archie! Professor Ferguson quit from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) on the day the UK became the de facto epicentre of the pandemic. 'Looks like the dire news of the UK having the highest #coronavirus deaths in Europe and frank analysis of why or how to learn from that for the future, is going to be entirely lost to a feeding frenzy targeting an individual scientist,' she tweeted. However, details of the scandal broke yesterday, as the UK's Covid-associated death toll became Europe's highest - then at 32,375. The Telegraph reported that he allowed 38-year-old Antonia Staats, said to be his “lover”, to visit him at home in London at least twice during the lockdown, on 30 March and 8 April. Could it have been one of Prof Ferguson's neighbours? By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Britain records 693 more coronavirus deaths taking official... Government scientist Neil Ferguson, 51 - whose death toll... Shamed Neil Ferguson's lover said lockdown 'strained' her... UK becomes first country in Europe to surpass 30,000... Looks like the dire news of the UK having the highest #coronavirus deaths in Europe and frank analysis of why or how to learn from that for the future, is going to be entirely lost to a feeding frenzy targeting an individual scientist,' she tweeted. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 'God knows, there's enough evidence that his computer model, which predicted 250,000 would die if the government didn't place the country under house arrest, is about as reliable as Paul the Octopus. Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, pictured on March 25 before the Commons Science and Technology Committee - five days before allowed his married lover, Antonia Staats, to … Sarah Boseley. He was married to Jill Addison, the sister of Bader's wife. The Imperial College scientist, nicknamed 'Professor Lockdown' for his crucial role in persuading Boris Johnson to introduce the strict measures, has come under considerable fire after details emerged of his repeated flouting of the lockdown. Britons have asked why the revelation of Neil Ferguson's affair came when it did - as Britain's coronavirus death toll figures became the highest in Europe. He didn’t decide those rules. He died at his Chelsea home at the age of 82 in 1998. video. Friends of Ms Staats claimed that she viewed their households ‘as one’ and didn’t see an issue with visiting Professor Ferguson. Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, allowed Antonia Staats, 38, to visit him at home at least twice during the lockdown Credit: Facebook The 51-year-old has … Ferguson’s model predicted a worst-case estimate of 510,000 deaths in the UK, and 2.2 million deaths in the US. View all comments. Chris is really intelligent and successful but he's really down to earth', another neighbour commented. Imperial College Prof Neil Ferguson Accused Of… Smart Region: The Rise Of The Activist University; SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE. They are totally blameless and humiliated I would think.'. Tom Swarbrick in angry row - LBC. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? They said that he and his wife Ms Staats are popular residents of the affluent, middle class area where houses cost in excess of £1.5million. PROFESSOR Neil Ferguson has been defended by his mother-in-law after breaking lockdown rules to meet his married lover behind his wife’s back. Neil Ferguson is the British academic who created the infamous Imperial College model that warned Boris Johnson that, without an immediate … supports HTML5 Professor Ferguson told The Telegraph that he had made an ‘error of judgement’ and taken the ‘wrong course of action’ in choosing to see Ms Staats amid lockdown. 'My hope is it will be an emperor's-new-clothes moment, breaking the spell this Rasputin figure has cast over Boris and the cabinet. 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