The plans and snapshots of the hug, which caused his resignation from the post of health secretary, leaked to the Sun last June. It was most likely taken by someone who used his phone to record a CCTV monitor, the ICO said. Hancock resigned from the government a day after the images showed him kissing Gina Colandanzello, a longtime friend who was also a non-executive director at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (DHSC), inside his cabinet. The video was taken on May 6 last year, which means that the clinch was a violation of Covid social distance rules. According to the government’s unlock schedule, close contact with people outside your household was only allowed from May 17th. The ICO has launched an investigation into alleged violations of the Data Protection Act. Several weeks after the video was released, data protection officers raided two homes in the south of England, confiscating computer equipment and electronics. In a statement Wednesday, the ICO said it had “found insufficient evidence to prosecute two people suspected of illegally obtaining and revealing CCTV video” from the health department. He said the investigation was launched following allegations of data breach by US-based Emcor, which operated the department’s CCTV system. “The forensic analysis revealed that the leaked images were most likely taken by someone who was recording CCTV video screens with a mobile phone,” the statement said. “Six phones recovered during the execution of search warrants did not contain the relevant CCTV material. “After receiving legal advice, the ICO concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with criminal offenses under the 2018 Data Protection Act.” Boris Johnson initially tried to defend Hancock, but accepted his resignation a day later after a wave of outrage from Conservative lawmakers, including some ministers. Hancock later divorced his wife, Martha, with whom he has three children, and is now believed to be in a relationship with Colandanzello. In 2020, Labor had protested for apparent friendliness after it was revealed that Coladangelo, head of marketing at retail chain Oliver Bonas and a university friend of Hancock, had first been appointed as an unpaid consultant to DHSC and then as a non-executive director. part-time with .000 15,000 per year.