The deputy prime minister has defended Boris Johnson, after the PM was pictured not wearing a mask during a visit to a hospital.

"He followed all the advice and all the guidance that he got at all times, I think that's the right thing for all of us to do," Dominic Raab told Kay Burley.

Mr Johnson has been criticised after pictures emerged of him not wearing a face covering at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, although images showed that he did wear a mask at some points during his visit.

Matthew Taylor from the NHS Confederation told Sky News it was "unfortunate" that the PM was seen without a mask.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth accused Mr Johnson of "irresponsibly parading" around the hospital, adding: "Patients and NHS staff deserve better than this."

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said on social media in response to a complaint about the PM not wearing a mask: "Please be assured that infection prevention and control remains an utmost priority for our trust.

"The prime minister, Boris Johnson, followed strict measures, including wearing a mask, in each clinical area he visited."

Guidance on the trust's website recommends that visitors wash their hands at the hospital entrance and "wear a face covering when you enter the hospital until you leave."