SCOTLAND’S chief medical officer told colleagues to delete WhatsApp messages “at the end of every day” during the pandemic, the Covid inquiry heard today.

Professor Sir Gregor Smith has added to a growing political storm around the retention of informal messages by senior decision-makers and their advisers during the handling of Covid-19.

In a group chat in July 2021, deputy chief medical officer Professor Graham Ellis said: “Hope this isn’t FOI-able?”— referring to freedom of information — to which Sir Gregor replied: “Delete at the end of every day.”