Punters pretending to be Dominic Cummings have flooded the Barnard Castle’s TripAdvisor page with fake reviews pretending to be the politician after he confirmed he travelled to the town during lockdown.
Cummings is one of Prime Minister Boris Johnston’s closest advisors. He was an architect of the Brexit campaign and the playmaker behind the decision to call an election that would lead to Boris Johnson’s re-election.
At the weekend, it was revealed the senior advisor drove more than 400 kilometres during the UK’s strict lockdown to self isolate at his parents’ property. His actions defied his own government advice to “stay at home.”
Cummings then admitted to driving about 50km to the historic town of Barnard Castle because he wanted to “check his eyesight” before taking the journey back to London.
He said he and his family left their car to sit near a river when he felt ill but had not come into contact with anyone.
A retired chemistry teacher, Rosalind Evans, dobbed him into the police after he spotted Cummings with a group of people walking in the town of Barnard Castle, on April 12.
The news has sparked widespread outrage across the country from all sides of politics, especially from those who did not travel to take care of family and even visit dying relatives during the outbreak.
Some Brits taking their frustrations to TripAdvisor pretending to be Cummings.
“The bluebells in the local woods at this time of the year are a beautiful sight and worth commenting on – be careful though of strangers coughing in the woods.”
Another reviewer wrote:
"Whizzed up on a whim from London with the family. Was exhilarating to feel the wind in my scalp.
"My wife fancied a cream tea and a packet of locketts but for some reason the cafe had been closed down.
"Easy parking."
Spoof reviews taking aim at Dominic Cummings on TripAdvisor. Source: Dateline
A contributor writes a review with as "big Dominic C." Source: Supplied
TripAdvisor has since removed the posts.
Others have taken aim at his excuse that the trip to the town was for his eyesight, creating memes based on popular optometrist SpecSavers.
Boris Johnson has backed Cummings, who has refused to apologise for travelling during restrictions.
