Nicola Sturgeon has apologised for breaching Covid rules after she was photographed without a face covering at a wake. The Scottish Sun published a picture of Scotland’s first minister standing talking to three people at a social distance, but with her face uncovered, while she was attending a wake after the funeral of a Scottish government civil servant who died with Covid. Sturgeon had been wearing a tartan mask and is believed to have taken it off briefly as she was leaving the venue. Sturgeon told the Sun: “Last Friday, while attending a funeral wake, I had my mask off briefly. This was a stupid mistake and I’m really sorry. “I talk every day about the importance of masks, so I’m not going to offer any excuses. I was in the wrong, I’m kicking myself and I’m sorry.” The mandatory use of face masks for customers in hospitality settings has been law since 14 September. Customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated – including when they are entering, exiting and moving around a venue. Anyone breaching the rule may be liable for a fine of £60 in Scotland. A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “The first minister should know better. By forgetting the rules and failing to set a proper example, she’s undermining essential public health messaging. “It’s a blunder that an ordinary member of the public wouldn’t get away with. There cannot be one rule for Nicola Sturgeon and another for everyone else.”