Downing Street held social gatherings dubbed 'wine-time Fridays' during pandemic lockdowns

Staff at 10 Downing Street held gatherings dubbed "wine-time Fridays" during England's coronavirus lockdowns, British tabloid newspaper The Mirror reported on Friday.

A former No 10 source, who worked at the UK Prime Minister's official residence all through 2020, confirmed to CNN that such gatherings regularly took place. The source said other people referred to them as "wine-time Fridays," but the source did not personally attend the events.

Revelations of numerous parties at Downing Street -- including one on the night before Prince Philip's funeral last April -- have caused a major political scandal for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and prompted questions about how long he can survive as leader of the governing Conservative party.