Hundreds of thousands sign up for Downing Street ‘rave’ after lockdown Christmas party scandal

More than a million people have been invited to a Christmas Eve “rave” outside Number 10 – and one eager partygoer has already turned up two weeks early.

The parody Facebook event has gone viral online, with more than 475,000 people saying they are “attending” and 628,000 more registering their interest in going to the supposed mass party.

The event, set up by Jon Mancini, advertises a “massive rave at 10 Downing Street” featuring “Boris Johnson and chums” in the line-up.

The description promises there will be “no social distancing required”, while revellers are encouraged to “bring who you like and your own nibbles and drink”.

The DJ and filmmaker makes clear on the event’s Facebook page that it is “not real” and “just for humour and poking fun at the powers to be” – however the Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is aware of the event.

Someone allegedly messaged the Met via its Instagram account, inviting officers to “turn off your body cams and scanners” and get involved in the “rave”, to which the force apparently responded: “We have already been made aware of this. Thank you.”

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A man also appeared to have turned up early to get the party started at Downing Street.

Video footage shows a man wearing a red floral print shirt dancing in the street while Lesley Gore’s It’s My Party can be heard playing loudly.

The recording has been viewed 330,000 times after being uploaded to TikTok on Thursday.

It comes after the government became embroiled in allegations that parties took place at Downing Street last Christmas when the rest of the country was being subjected to lockdown restrictions.

The prime minister’s former spokeswoman Allegra Stratton stepped down from her role on Wednesday after a video was leaked showing her joking about a Downing Street party involving wine and cheese during a mock press conference.