Boris Johnson told to stop Grimsby Town FC hat by angry locals | UK News

Boris Johnson has been told to stop wearing a Grimsby Town FC hat by hundreds of furious residents who accuse him of ‘bringing the town into disrepute’.

The former Prime Minister was spotted wearing a grey bobble hat with the initials ‘GTFC’ stitched into the side as he arrived at the Covid Inquiry in London this week.

It was said to have been gifted to him by Great Grimsby MP Lia Nici, one of Johnson’s supporters.

But its appearance prompted anger amongst locals and fans of the League Two side, who said Johnson was ruining the town’s reputation by choosing to sport such attire.

Grimsby resident John Dale took things even further, and started a petition titled ‘Ban Boris Johnson from wearing Grimsby Town FC hat and shaming a community,’ which has since amassed hundreds of signatures.

‘Disgraced ex Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended the Covid inquiry wearing a woolly hat bearing the letters GTFC,’ Mr Dale wrote on the petition.

‘It is the hat worn by fans of the highly-respected Grimsby Town Football Club. Johnson has no formal connection to the club.

‘He has never lived in Grimsby. He is using the town to add lustre and glamour to his own shattered life.

‘He is also bringing Grimsby into serious disrepute. This petition asks that Johnson stops wearing the hat and adopts a hat more suited to his lowly status eg MUFC [Manchester United].’

Johnson has been spotted wearing the hat on a number of occasions. In 2020, he was photographed wearing one while holidaying in the Scottish Highlands, and was seen sporting it last January whilst walking his dog near Downing Street.

When asked about his fondness for the hat in 2022, Johnson told Grimsby Live: ‘It’s what I grab when I run out the house. There’s no particular science to it. It’s a very good hat. It’s lovely and warm. What I like most is that it comes down and covers my ears.’

Mr Johnson arrived at this week’s Covid inquiries three hours early, which meant he avoided the grief-stricken families of those who had died from Covid who were waiting outside.

He began proceedings by apologising for the ‘pain and loss’ families experienced but was briskly interrupted by protesters at the inquiry.

Four people had to be escorted out for heckling the ex-Tory leader and one later told reporters outside: ‘We didn’t want his apology.’

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