A minister has said he “can understand why people are angry” about allegations that Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie were among around 40 people to attend a drinks event in the Downing Street garden during the UK’s first national COVID lockdown.

Health minister Ed Argar said it is “absolutely right” that Sue Gray – the senior civil servant leading an inquiry into multiple allegations of COVID rule-breaking in Downing Street and other government buildings – looks into the matter, but told Kay Burley “I don’t know what did or didn’t happen”.

In what has been revealed to have been a “bring your own booze” event on 20 May 2020, a Downing Street figure told Sky News that both Mr Johnson and his then fiancée were present.

Asked multiple times whether if 40 people – including the PM and his wife – had gathered in the Downing Street garden it would have been against the government’s own coronavirus rules, Mr Argar did not explicitly answer the question.

In spring 2020, when the event allegedly took place, outdoor group gatherings were banned in England.

Mr Argar said it is “not appropriate” to comment on what Sue Gray “may or may not conclude” in her investigation of the Downing Street party allegations.

Put to him that the families of those who have died during the coronavirus pandemic are furious at the latest revelations in the Number 10 “partygate” row, the health minister told Sky News: “We’ve lost 150,230 people to this disease, so I can understand with these allegations that people will be upset and angry”.

The Met Police have confirmed they are “in contact with the Cabinet Office” following the reports of the Downing Street garden drinks party.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is aware of widespread reporting relating to alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020 and is in contact with the Cabinet Office.”