She declined to comment on the issuing of fines.

It means that fixed penalty notices have been issued to attendees of three of the dozen “partygate” events investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

The other two events were the drinks held in Downing Street the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, in April 2021, and the departure of a Downing Street aide in June 2020.

Boris Johnson is not believed to have attended any of the three gatherings. Downing Street spokesmen have said they will confirm in public if Mr Johnson, who attended other events being investigated, is fined.

Messages from the Metropolitan Police telling some attendees they have been fined over the gathering have been received in recent days, according to two sources familiar with developments. It is not known whether Ms Josephs herself has been fined.

Ms Josephs was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for public service in the Queen’s Birthday honours in 2021.

Scotland Yard has said it has issued 20 fines over the dozen events in Downing Street and Cabinet Office buildings alleged to have broken lockdown rules.

More fines are expected. However, the Metropolitan Police is not naming who receives the fines or exactly which events they relate to, leaving the public in the dark about those being punished.

On Sunday, the Government’s former head of ethics issued an apology after being the first person to be publicly named for being fined over “partygate” at an alcohol-fuelled farewell event in June 2020.

Helen MacNamara, the former deputy cabinet secretary who now works for the Premier League, said she would be paying the fixed penalty notice issued by the Metropolitan Police.