Boris Johnson spoke out on Sunday evening to clarify that Dominic Cummings, his chief adviser, “had no alternative” but to travel 260 miles from London to County Durham with his family last month. Mr Johnson said that after “extensive face-to-face conversations” he resolved that Mr Cummings did not flout the lockdown because he had been “travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus.”

He added: “Looking at the very severe childcare difficulties that presented themselves to Dominic Cummings and his family, I think what they did was totally understandable.

“There is guidance about that particular difficulty, about what you need to do, the pressures that families face when they have childcare needs.”

Mr Johnson was citing restrictions laid out by himself on March 23, when he announced in a televised speech that the country was going into lockdown.

The guidance included four “very limited purposes” for not staying at home, especifically: “any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape risk of harm, or to provide care or help a vulnerable person.”

On March 24, Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, added another exemption to the guideline when someone asked if a child of parents who are ill with the virus would be regarded as a vulnerable person.

She said: “A small child clearly is a vulnerable individual, so in this case, although we are encouraging everybody to stay in their households – that’s the unit with the same exposure – clearly if you have adults who are unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance.”

Dr Harries clarified that the child’s parents could seek further locally-based help.

She said: “If the individuals do not have access to care support, formal care support or to family, they will be able to work through local authority hubs.”

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Number 10 a statement on Saturday claimed that Mr Cummings and Ms Wakefield believed that the guidance meant that were allowed to drive hundreds of miles to seek help of Mr Cummings’ extended family – and the Prime Minister has validated this argument.

A Downing Street spokesman said then: “Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for.

“His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed.

“His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside.

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“At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported.

“His actions were in line with coronavirus guidelines. Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally.”

The long drive north risked breaking the rules on March 22 that people should stay in their “primary residence” and only leave home for “essential travel.”

The guidance from the Department for Transport did “not include visits to second homes … whether for isolation purposes or holidays.”

The guidance adds: ”People must remain in their primary residence. Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk.”

Soon after his arrival in Co Durham Mr Cummings fell severely ill with Covid-19, prompting suspicions that he had caught the virus from his wife during the journey.

Under the official guidance he would have had to self-isolate and stay apart from his parents Robert and Morag, who are both considered vulnerable as they are in their 70s and lived in the area.

After the PM said in his statement that Mr Cummings was following “the instincts of every father and every parent” to help his son.

One journalist then enquired whether Mr Cummings was following his instincts while “the rest of the country were following rules”.

Mr Johnson later said: “I can totally get why people might feel so confused and as you say offended by the idea that it was one thing for people here and one thing for others.

“But having looked at what happened, having looked at his intentions of what he was trying to do for the good of his family, I really think most people will understand what he was doing and above all, the measures he took were designed to stop the spread of the virus.”