U.K. politician caught playing Candy Crush Saga on the job

Be careful playing video games when you’re supposed to be working — you never know who’s watching.

A Conservative politician in the U.K. was attending a meeting on pension reforms in the Houses of Parliament last Monday afternoon. But he was actually playing Candy Crush Saga, the hugely popular mobile puzzle game that’s one of the most downloaded (and best-grossing) apps on iOS and Google Play in the world, on his iPad.

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Nigel Mills, member of Parliament for Amber Valley in the East Midlands, got caught out when a photograph of him playing the game appeared in the Sun newspaper. It’s an embarrassing moment for Mills, and it shows the addictive nature of mobile games.

Mills played Candy Crush Saga over a two-and-a-half-hour period, but he initially brushed off the event when questioned by the Sun, reports the BBC. He said that he “probably had a game or two,” but insisted that he was still “fully engaged” in his work and would try not to do it again.

In a later statement, however, Mills made a proper apology for his actions: “I apologize unreservedly for my behavior at the committee meeting and realize it fell short of what is expected of a member of parliament. I guarantee it will not happen again.”

Mills, previously a tax adviser, entered politics in 2010; it’s clearly not as interesting as he imagined. You can see him quietly swiping away at those candies in the video below.

While Mills isn’t facing any further action for his on-the-job gaming session, the whistleblower is in trouble. Parliamentary authorities are looking into who snapped the picture as it represents a break in the rules, and the culprit could receive a lifetime ban from the Houses of Parliament.

Mills isn’t alone in his Candy Crush fascination. Journey creator Jenova Chen confessed his previous love for the game to GamesBeat in our feature on the mobile addictions of game industry pros. Myself? I deleted it last month and haven’t looked back.