LONDON -A newspaper report that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he would rather bodies piled "high in their thousands" than order a third lockdown is not true, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday.

The Daily Mail newspaper said Johnson said at an October meeting at Downing Street: "No more ****ing lockdowns - let the bodies pile high in their thousands."

"It's not true - it's been categorically denied by practically everyone," Wallace told Sky when asked about the reported remark, adding that Johnson was focused on the COVID response.

"We're getting into the sort of comedy chapter now of these gossip stories - you know unnamed sources by unnamed advisers talking about unnamed events. You know - look - none of this is serious," Wallace said.

  - Reuters