91�ȱ�

Boris Johnson has denied reports he said he would rather see "bodies pile high" than take the country into a third lockdown.

Sources have told the 91�ȱ� the prime minister made the comment last autumn.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked the PM: "Did he make those remarks, or remarks to that effect?"

Mr Johnson replied "no", and challenged Sir Keir to "substantiate" the allegations and say where they had come from.

He added that last October there were "very bitter, very difficult" decisions to be made about whether to go into lockdown.

"Lockdowns are miserable, lockdowns are appalling things to have to do, but I have to say that I believe we had absolutely no choice," Mr Johnson added.

The Labour leader reminded the PM of the ministerial code, which says "ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation", and warned Mr Johnson he would return to this issue.

At a stormy Prime Minsters Questions, Mr Johnson then came under fire from the SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, who said many people would find his reported remarks about bodies piling high "utterly, utterly sickening".

He claimed people were "willing to go under oath confirming that the prime minister said these exact words".

'Not savoury'

He added: "Parliamentary rules stop me from saying that the prime minister has repeatedly lied to the public over the last week, but can I ask the question, are you a liar prime minister?"

Mr Johnson paused before standing up to reply, in an anticipation of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ruling Mr Blackford's comments out of order, as MPs are banned from accusing other MPs of lying.

Sir Lindsay said: "Can I just say unfortunately they're in order, but were not savoury and not what we would expect."

Mr Johnson challenged Mr Blackford to "produce the author, the person who claims to have heard it, because I can't find them".

"He (Mr Blackford) says that they're willing to go oath. Perhaps they're sitting somewhere in this building, I rather doubt it because I didn't say those words.

"What I do believe is that a lockdown is a miserable, miserable thing and I did everything I could to try to protect the British public throughout the pandemic, to protect them from lockdowns, but also to protect them from disease.

"We grieve, as I know the whole House grieves, for every family that has lost a loved one."

The comments - - came at the end of October when the government announced there would be a second lockdown in England following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.

The 91�ȱ� verified through sources that the PM had made the remark, which has also been reported by ITV.