Portsmouth people's sacrifices for Christmas in lockdown on December 18 - the day of Downing Street alleged party

One woman, who asked not to be named, said she was watching a friend’s funeral on a livestream.

She said: ‘I was virtually attending the funeral of a friend who had taken their own life a couple of weeks prior.

‘There was a limit of the number of attendees so I had to watch it at home from my flat.

‘The video stream cut off before the end of the funeral (due to the automated time-slots of 30 minutes).

‘That is the last memory I will ever have of my friend.

‘Some people fail to see why we care about something that happened a year ago, but that is why.

‘Millions of people will have been in a similar kind of situation (and worse) to me on that date.

‘We all abided by the rules because we care about our fellow citizens and want to do the right thing for others - but they don’t care.

‘They care only for their own comfort, convenience and profit. To them, we don’t matter and we aren’t human. How dare they think they are better than all these people who have sacrificed so much.’

Fratton community volunteer Nikki Coles, 34, met her mum in a windy and rain-swept car park in Chichester.

She was handing over presents for mum Carolyn Hill’s 59th birthday She said: ‘I gave my mum her birthday presents in a car park in the wind and rain.

‘She wasn't able to come to my home because of Covid restrictions but restrictions allowed you to go to the theatre or for something to eat in a restaurant.’

The former Labour party candidate added: ‘It wasn’t very nice, I thought as we were doing this “this is rubbish”. For me family is everything and having that time was everything.

‘I couldn’t spend Christmas with her either - it wasn’t a very happy time last Christmas.

‘To be honest I’m not surprised (about the party) - they’ve got form.’

Barber Neil Hood, 42, said the news of the party was ‘annoying’.

He remembers closing up shop at Edwards for Men, in Osborne Road, Southsea, as the country went back into lockdown.

He had planned to travel to Hertfordshire to see family - his mum, nieces and nephews, and old school friends.

After hearing the news about the Downing Street party, he said: ‘It’s angering. I wasn’t going to go out clubbing but it would have been nice to see my mum and have a meal with her, and see nieces and nephews, and brothers and friends.

‘I wasn’t having a party - at most I would have gone to the pub for a pint - something simple but we were denied it.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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