Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told a public inquiry he is ‘deeply sorry for the pain and suffering experience during the pandemic.”

Johnson, who led Britain through the coronavirus pandemic before being ousted by scandal, is defending his record at an inquiry into the country’s handling of the pandemic.

He is  being grilled under oath by lawyers for the judge-led inquiry about his initial reluctance to impose a national lockdown in early 2020 and other fateful decisions.

Johnson arrived at the inquiry venue at daybreak, several hours before he was due to take the stand, avoiding a protest by relatives of COVID-19 victims.

Among those wanting answers from the inquiry are families of some of the more than 200,000 people in the U.K. who died after contracting the virus. 

A group gathered outside the office building where the inquiry was set, some holding pictures of their loved ones. One banner declared: “Let the bodies pile high” – a statement attributed to Johnson by an aide. 

Another sign said: “Johnson partied while people died.”