Former Chancellor and Home Secretary Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as Health Secretary, Downing Street has announced.

A statement from 10 Downing Street said: “The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.”

The Bromsgrove MP previously served as home secretary from 2018 to 2019 - and then as chancellor until February last year, when he was replaced by Rishi Sunak.

He will replace Matt Hancock after the former health secretary resigned from his position after videos emerged of him breaking social distancing rules when kissing former aide Gina Coladangelo.

Mr Hancock resigned as Health Secretary in a letter to Boris Johnson where he says the Government “owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down”.

Boris Johnson said Mr Hancock “should leave office very proud of what you have achieved – not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us”.

Mr Johnson added: “I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to public service is far from over.”

In a video posted on Twitter, Matt Hancock said: “I understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made, you have made. And those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that’s why I’ve got to resign.

“I want to thank people for their incredible sacrifices and what they’ve done. Everybody working in the NHS, across social care, everyone involved in the vaccine programme and frankly everybody in this country who has risen to the challenges that we’ve seen over this past 18 months.”

It comes after The Sun published pictures that appeared to show the former health secretary in a romantic embrace with Gina Coladangelo.

The pictures appear to be captured via CCTV outside of the married, father of three’s office, just after 3pm on May 6.

Mother-of-three Ms Coladangelo is communications director at Oliver Bonas, the fashion and lifestyle store founded by her husband Oliver Tress.

She is also a director and major shareholder at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon, which offers clients a “deep understanding of the mechanics of government”.

Ms Coladangelo was appointed last September, her appointment drew criticism as there was no public record of the appointment, which was set to see her earn at least £15,000 of taxpayers’ money, potentially rising by a further £5,000.