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The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has denied reports that he attended a pizza party at Downing Street during the UK’s first lockdown, dismissing the gathering as a “series of meetings.”

The reports come amid growing controversy over claims that a number of social events were held inside 10 Downing Street during the 2020 lockdowns, in violation of strict Covid-19 restrictions.

The scandal has also limited the government’s ability to roll out new rules to tackle the Omicron variant, with opponents of the measures accusing the government of employing double standards.

“On 15 May 2020, the Prime Minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then Health and Care Secretary [Matt Hancock] and his team in the garden following a press conference,” a Downing Street spokesperson told CNN when asked about reports that Johnson had spent 15 minutes with staff who shared pizza and drank wine at Downing Street offices and garden until late in the evening.

“The Prime Minister went to his residence shortly after 7pm,” the spokesperson said. “A small number of staff required to be in work remained in the Downing Street Garden for part of the afternoon and evening.”

The spokesperson went on to say that “in the summer months Downing Street staff regularly use the garden for some meetings.”

At the time the alleged May 2020 gathering took place, coronavirus restrictions only allowed people in England to meet one person from a different household outdoors.