Professor Chris Whitty was branded a ‘murderer’ by a mob of anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters at the weekend.

The crowd gathered outside England’s chief medical officer’s London home on Saturday during a march through the capital.

Some of the demonstrators shouted ‘traitor’ and ‘murderer’ through megaphones.

It came a day before Prof Whitty was harassed in the street for the third time this year, when two men accosted him as he walked through St James’ Park.

Police are investigating after a 20-second clip was posted online showing the pair grinning as they grabbed him while yelling ‘Oi oi’ and asking: ‘One photo please?’

As Prof Whitty struggles to break free, the men take hold of him again.

With a line of police vans visible in the background, a voice is heard saying ‘leave the gentleman alone’ before the video ends.

The Metropolitan Police said it warned two men ‘robustly’ at the scene, but added that the professor told officers ‘at that time he did not wish to make any allegations’.

They went on: ‘The incident has been recorded as common assault and continues to be investigated by the public order crime team.’

Prof Whitty will reportedly be given greater protection following the incident.

The epidemiologist will be given a car, similar to mid-ranking cabinet ministers, according to The Times.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the ‘thugs’ responsible for the ‘despicable harassment’, adding: ‘Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.’

Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was ‘just horrified’ by the incident and that officials are looking at support available to Prof Whitty.

Asked if he needs security measures, she told Times Radio: ‘I can’t speak about that but it’s important that we make sure that Chris is given the right kind of support.

‘It’s terrible to see such an important public figure, someone that day in, day out, has been serving our country in the way in which he has to keep us safe, being subject to just appalling abuse.’

It is not the first time Prof Whitty has been forced to endure public harassment.

Another man accosted the chief medical officer in Westminster back in February.

The incidents were filmed on mobile phones.

Prof Whitty brushed off the February incident, addressing it at a Downing Street press conference shortly afterwards.

He told viewers: ‘In terms of being harangued … the odd young lad showing off occasionally happens.

‘I didn’t think anything of it, frankly. I was very surprised it was picked up by the media at all, as anything of any importance.’

He added that he was sure the person involved would ‘become a model citizen in due course’, hoping they could be more like much-admired NHS charity fundraiser the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.

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