UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "very sorry" after pictures of him kissing and embracing his top aide, a friend he hired last year, were splashed on the front page of a British newspaper.

"I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances," Hancock said.

"I have let people down and am very sorry. I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."

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The publication of the photos in The Sun, taken in Hancock's office last month, comes as he already faces pressure over his handling of the COVID-19 response in the UK.

The opposition Labour Party, which had accused the government and Hancock of "cronyism" in awarding millions of pounds worth of contracts related to the pandemic, said Friday's report needed to be looked into.

"Ministers, like everyone, are entitled to a private life," a Labour spokesperson said. But Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds added: "If Matt Hancock has been secretly having a relationship with an adviser in his office – who he personally appointed to a taxpayer-funded role – it is a blatant abuse of power and a clear conflict of interest."

Picture source unclear

The newspaper said the picture of Hancock, who is married, and the aide, Gina Coladangelo, was taken last month. The images have not been independently verified. 

The daily newspaper did not say how it obtained the security camera images, but it cited a whistleblower as commenting on the relationship.

The Sun said the two had known each other since they were both at Oxford University in the early 2000s. She is listed on the health department's website as a non-executive director.

Support from colleagues 

Hancock has been criticized for his department's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in the early months when it struggled to deliver testing and protective equipment for hospital staff treating COVID-19 patients.

Asked about the appropriateness of appointing friends to positions in government, Transport Minister Grant Shapps told Sky News that "very strict rules were in place."

"In terms of the rules, anyone who has been appointed has to go through an incredibly vigorous process in government," Shapps said.