BORIS Johnson has been accused of hypocrisy after he was seen cycling seven miles from his home in Downing St after urging people to “do the right thing” and abide by tough Covid restrictions.

The Prime Minister was spotted at the Olympic Park in east London on Sunday afternoon, wearing a face mask and a Transport for London hat while cycling with members of his security detail.

Official regulations in England, brought in by Mr Johnson, make clear exercise should be limited to once a day and people “should not travel outside your local area”.

Andy Slaughter, the Labour MP for Hammersmith in west London, condemned him, saying: “Once again, it is do as I say not as I do from the Prime Minister. London has some of the highest infection rates in the country. Boris Johnson should be leading by example.”

One eye witness recalled: “He was leisurely cycling with another guy with a beanie hat and chatting while around four security guys, possibly more, cycled behind them.

“When I realised the person looked like Boris I cycled past them to hear his voice and be sure it’s him. It was definitely Boris.”

She added: “Considering the current situation with Covid I was shocked to see him cycling around looking so care free.

“Also considering he’s advising everyone to stay at home and not leave their area, shouldn’t he stay in Westminster and not travel to other boroughs?”

Sophia Sleigh, a London Evening Standard journalist, also tweeted that she believed she had seen the PM in the park too.

A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment but an insider pointed to remarks by a Government source, who confirmed the PM had been exercising before chairing a meeting of Cabinet colleagues.

He said Mr Johnson “did note how busy the park was and he commented on it at the meeting last night. He was concerned about if people were following the rules and was concerned after his cycle ride around the park.”

At the Downing press conference, Matt Hancock, suggested that it was “okay to go for a long walk or cycle ride or exercise but stay local”. He specifically mentioned a distance of seven miles in his answer.

Last year, the UK Government was engulfed in controversy when Mr Johnson’s then chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, was accused of breaking lockdown rules, a claim Mr Cummings denied.

The reports of Mr Johnson cycling away from home came just hours after Professor Chris Whitty, the Government’s Chief Medical Officer, going on a morning media round underlining the importance of people observing the lockdown rules and urging them to “double down” on them.

Indeed, during a visit to a vaccine centre in Bristol, the PM exhorted people to follow the rules and “do the right thing”. He declared: “Now is the moment for maximum vigilance.”

The sighting of the PM’s cycle ride also follows the well-reported case of two women in Derbyshire, who were last week fined £200 each by the police for visiting a local beauty spot, which was five miles away from their homes.

Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore, both 27, were photographed carrying drinks, which they were told was not allowed as the cups of tea were "classed as a picnic".

Police insisted driving to exercise was "not in the spirit" of lockdown but later said new guidance meant it would look again at the issue. Both women said they were pleased the force had decided to think again.