It would be "probably impossible" for the government to enforce restrictions this Christmas to fight Omicron after Boris Johnson's party scandal, an MP has warned.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous has called on the prime minister to "hold his hands up and apologise" after footage emerged on Tuesday night which showed Downing Street staff in December 2020 laughing about a possible party which would have breached London's coronavirus restrictions at the time.

In response, a Downing Street spokesman said: “There was no Christmas party. Covid rules have been followed at all times.”

Mr Aldous said: "This story has been rumbling away over the last few weeks and my inclination was to accept what the prime minister had said that no rules had been broken and give them the benefit of the doubt.

"The news overnight and the release of the video does cast the situation in a different light.

"It does look very bad and gives the impression there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us.

"In my view it is a re-run of the Dominic Cummings saga and it does make it very difficult, especially if there were to be further restrictions with the emergence of Omicron, to enforce those rules - probably impossible."

Mr Aldous said he did not believe Mr Johnson should resign over the saga.

He said: "What is needed is an explanation of what happened from the prime minister and for him to hold his hands up and apologise and say he got it wrong.

"I don't think he should resign. We have enormous challenges coming our way in this country. Over the last few weeks we have seen different issues such as social care and standards, and there is a clear need for the government to quickly get a grip on this issue."

The Waveney MP also confirmed there was no Christmas party for his staff last year.

He said: "This time last year my staff in Westminster were all working from home and I was the only one in that office.

"I can't remember what my staff were doing locally, but they were either working from home too or socially distanced in the Kirkley Centre.

"Certainly after Christmas they were working from home again, but there was absolutely no Christmas party with my staff last year."