'Barnard Castle is the new Pizza Express, Woking': Twitter pokes fun at Dominic Cummings' explanation of his lockdown trip to Durham
by Henry Martin For Mailonline- Dominic Cummings faced fury over his decision to drive 260 miles to Durham
- He today refused to apologise for the trip and claimed he acted 'reasonably'
- Britons have been picking apart his explanations with memes on social media
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Dominic Cummings has become the subject of thousands of memes as sceptical Britons poke fun at his explanation for his lockdown trip to Durham.
Mr Cummings today refused to apologise for driving 260 miles amid coronavirus restrictions, and claimed he had always behaved 'reasonably and legally' after sparking widespread fury.
The Prime Minister's top aide said his decision to travel to the city to stay in a cottage on his parents' land was the result of a 'very complicated, tricky situation', and he 'doesn't regret' what he did.
He is now facing accusations of 'double standards' - with doubting Britons picking apart the advisor's story on Twitter and many sharing memes following his earlier press briefing.
Some Twitter users joked Barnard Castle is 'the new Pizza Express, Woking' - referring to Prince Andrew's car crash interview last year about his involvement with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Labour MP Andrew Gwynne likened the briefing to a sketch from comedy show Little Britain, where a politician gives a dubious explanation for events at a press conference.
Another mocked his explanation for driving to the town of Barnard Castle to 'check his eyesight' by editing the town's sign to reflect a chart of letters at an opticians.
And dozens of people took to TripAdvisor posing as Mr Cummings to leave spoof reviews of Barnard Castle, hailing its 'ability to cure a person's sight'. One wrote it's a 'real eye-opener'.
One Twitter user shared a clip of Simon from The Inbetweeners saying: 'I dunno, I think that's a bit dodgy, mate,' with the hashtag #dominiccummings.
And one, from Wales, implied that Mr Cummings had been 'digging a hole' during the public statement - by sharing a snap of a man doing just that.
Meanwhile on Facebook, Wayne Boyle shared a meme featuring Dominic Cummings performing a spoof of The Proclaimer's hit 500 Miles, replacing the lyrics with 'I Would Drive 200 Miles...'.
CAN CORONAVIRUS AFFECT YOUR EYES?
Dominic Cummings admitted taking a 60-mile round trip while in Durham to check his eyesight had recovered from the effects of a suspected case of coronavirus.
And Boris Johnson defended his top aide in tonight's Downing Street press conference, pulling out his pair of glasses and saying: 'I'm finding that I have to wear spectacles for the first time in years - I think because of the effects of this thing.
'I think that's very, very plausible that eyesight can be a problem associated with coronavirus.'
So, what is the truth to the claims?
One leading ophthalmologist - a medic who specialises in eye care - says it is possible that the coronavirus could cause permanent eye damage.
Dr Annie Nguyen, of the University of Southern California, said that oxygen deprivation may cause damage to the optic nerve and retina, in theory.
Oxygen deprivation is a known side effect of severe Covid-19, and can lead to patients needing urgent treatment in intensive care.
But in a blog post about how Covid-19 affects the eyes, Dr Nguyen said: 'At this point permanent eye damage from Covid-19 has not been reported.'
CAN THE VIRUS ENTER YOUR BODY THROUGH YOUR EYES?
Doctors first warned the killer coronavirus could be spread through the eyes in January, when the epicentre was in Wuhan, China.
The World Health Organization warns people can become infected with the virus by touching a contaminated surface and then their eyes.
However, the main way the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads is through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks.
Medics on the pandemic frontline are supposed to wear goggles or face visors in order to protect their eyes and cut their chance of infection.
CAN COVID-19 AFFECT YOUR VISION?
Some Covid-19 patients have suffered conjunctivitis - an inflammation of the eye which causes it to become red and infected.
Researchers behind one study found that conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, was a symptom in around 30 per cent of patients.
The tell-tale symptoms of Covid-19 are a cough, a fever, shortness of breath and anosmia - the scientific term for losing your sense of smell and taste.