Boris Johnson pockets reporter's phone to avoid picture of 4-year-old on hospital floor

Prime Minister forced to apologise and return phone

This was the moment Boris Johnson took away the phone of a reporter who was trying to show him an image of a four-year-old boy lying on a hospital floor.

Shocking images surfaced over the weekend of young Jack Williment-Barr lying down on a coat in Leeds General Infirmary's department after being taken to hospital with suspected pneumonia.

The image raised more questions and concerns about the state of the NHS after years of under-funding by the Conservative government.

Today Mr Johnson was confronted with the stark image of young Jack but refused to look at it - instead pocketing the phone of the reporter trying to show him it.

In a remarkable scene, ITV reporter Joe Pike then pointed out on camera that the Prime Minister had effectively confiscated his phone, for which Mr Johnson then was forced to apologise.

He then reluctantly looked at the image before moving on to talk about why 'getting Brexit done' is the only way to help the struggling health service.

After his phone was taken, the reporter told the Prime Minister: "You've refused to look at the photo, you have taken my phone and put it in your pocket."

"His mother says the NHS is in crisis, what do you say to that?"

The clip shows the Prime Minister then apologising and returning the reporter's phone before admitting it was a "terrible photo".

He added: "I apologise to the families who have had a terrible experience in our NHS, but what we are doing is supporting the NHS.

"And on the whole I think patients in the NHS than this poor kid has had."

He then turned back to his Brexit message, adding: "We are making huge investments in the NHS and the only way we can do that is if we can get Parliament going, unlock the deadlock and move forward."

Responding to the incident, Labour's shadow health secretary John Ashworth said: "Refusing to even look at an image of a child suffering because of Conservative cuts to the NHS is a new low for Boris Johnson. It’s clear he could not care less.

"Don’t give this disgrace of a man five more years of driving our NHS into the ground. Sick toddlers like Jack deserve so much better."

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