A Lothians-based optometrist criticised under-fire Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to the Prime Minister, for driving from his family farm to check his eyesight and readiness to drive back to London from the North-East of England.

Swati Best, who has a practice in Juniper Green contacted her local MP, Edinburgh West Liberal Democrat member, Christine Jardine, to voice her anger.

And the Westminster MP has forward the letter to the Prime Minister.

Mrs Best is “incensed” and said that this is the first time in 60 years that I she has contacted her local MP.

In her letter she said: “I cannot believe that Mr Dominic Cummings intentionally drove 30 miles to check his sight, with a child in the car.

“DVLA rules in the UK are clear. It is the Driver’s responsibility to ensure that his sight is within the law BEFORE turning the ignition in the car. He thus intentionally drove not confident about his sight.

“I cannot allow this to pass. I am an optometrist who has been zealous in ensuring that all my patients who drive meet this requirement.

“In fact, I have the right to contact DVLA if I believe that a patient may drive when this visual standard is not met.”

She revealed that she lectures patients who may have driven with defective sight and she recently stopped a man driving home from an eye test as his sight did not meet minimum standards.

Mrs Best, who trades as Margaret Best Optometrist, said: I want to believe in Government and in our leaders. Rules need to be applied to all, particularly when public safety is involved.

The MP told her constituent that she had been “astonished” by the number of people who have contacted her since Cummings’ press briefing in the Rose Garden at No 10.

Jardine added that she wanted the Prime Minister to be aware of the strength of Mrs Best’s feeling and had written to No 10 to ask Boris Johnson to reconsider his position over his political strategist

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