A man has been charged with common assault after a video went viral of Chris Whitty being harassed in a central London park.

Lewis Hughes, 23, of Wigton Way, Romford, east London, was charged on Thursday evening and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday July 30, the Metropolitan Police said.

An investigation was launched after England’s chief medical officer was accosted by a group of men in St James’s Park at around 7.20pm on Sunday.

The Met said officers had reviewed the footage and the matter was referred to the Public Order Crime Team.

The video, which lasts around 20 seconds and was filmed in St James’s Park, shows two grinning men grabbing Prof Whitty as they shout “Oi oi” and say “One photo please?”.

As Prof Whitty attempts to walk away, the men grab him again, while a voice is heard saying “leave the gentleman alone” before the clip ends.

Lewis Hughes, from Essex, said he was sacked from his job as an estate agent after a video of the incident went viral.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among the many people to express his distaste at the incident, describing the men as “thugs”.

He said: “I’m shocked at seeing the despicable harassment of chief medical officer Chris Whitty.

“I condemn the behaviour of these thugs. Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.”

Speaking to The Sun earlier this week, Mr Hughes said: “I absolutely apologise for any upset I caused.

“If I made him feel uncomfortable, which it does look like I did, then I am sorry to him for that.

“He is quite a timid, shy person and I think that is why he didn’t say, ‘Get off me’. If he had said that and I had realised how he felt, I wouldn’t have put my arm round him.

“There was no malicious intent, I didn’t want to upset him.”

“I feel very let down by Boris, for him to call me a thug. I actually voted for him as well.

“I have worked every day of my life since I left college, I have never been in any trouble. Now I have to start from the beginning again and I loved my job.”