The PM contradicted Home Secretary Priti Patel over the coronavirus ‘rule of six’ – and said people should only ring police on rule-breakers if it’s ‘some huge kind of Animal House party, hot tubs and so forth

Boris Johnson sowed yet more coronavirus confusion today by telling Brits NOT to snitch on their neighbours – unless they’re having an ‘Animal House’ style hot tub party.

The Prime Minister contradicted his own Home Secretary, who said people reporting Covid rule-breakers to police would be “doing the right thing”.

It is now illegal to gather in groups of more than six people in England, apart from a range of exceptions.

Priti Patel yesterday said: “If I saw gatherings of more than six people, clearly I would report that.”

But Boris Johnson has now told The Sun: “I have never much been in favour of sneak culture, myself.

“What people should do in the first instance obviously if they are concerned is raise it with their friends and neighbours.

But I think what is reasonable for anyone to do is if they think there is a serious threat to public health as a result of their neighbours’ activities – if there is some huge kind of Animal House party taking place, as I am sure, hot tubs and so forth, and there is a serious threat to public health then it’s reasonable for the authorities to know.”

National Lampoon’s Animal House, released in 1978, depicted the raucous antics of a US frat house.

The Prime Minister’s comments were light-hearted but show yet more mixed messaging from the heart of government – just as coronavirus cases rise.

Police were left waiting for guidance on how to enforce the ‘rule of six’ after official regulations were published just 15 minutes before it took force on Monday.

Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, said police officers on the front line were “trying to interpret” the rules.

Asked if there should be “more guidance” he snapped: “Maybe we should have ‘guidance’, because we haven’t had any yet.”

Other mixed messaging includes the PM’s drive to tell people to go back to work – with reports now emerging that office workers could be told to work from home after all.

The government has also launched a drive to stop people being tested needlessly for coronavirus – after previously urging people to get tested even if they were “in doubt”.

It has been illegal since Monday in England to gather in groups of more than six, indoors or outdoors, of any age.

There are exemptions for school and work – as well as a litany of other reasons like households over six people. Ministers also face fury for making shooting exempt.

People who break the ‘rule of six’ could face a £100 fine, doubling on each repeat offence up to a cap of £3,200.

Those who organise larger gatherings of more than 30 people also face separate fines of £10,000.

Earlier this week Kit Malthouse, the Policing Minister, said anyone concerned about people breaking the rules could call the non-emergency police number 101.

That prompted a backlash, with former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption moaning the law was “pointless, arbitrary and unnecessary” and could lead to a “Stasi-style” network of informers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted it was “not about dobbing in neighbours – I think it’s all about us taking personal responsibility.”

But Downing Street later emphasised people should report rule-breaking to police only if it’s being flouted “egregiously”.