Police in the US have released a statement on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claiming they were in a "near catastrophic car chase" after leaving an awards ceremony.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had attended the star-studded bash in the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York, on Tuesday when they were reportedly chased by half a dozen paparazzi vehicles in a "relentless pursuit" which lasted more than two hours, a source told the Mirror.
The New York Police Department said in a statement: "On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard.”
The source added: "Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.
"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers.
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
The ex-working Royals had left the ceremony in New York in their SUV alongside a police escort, but according to reports, the couple was soon swamped by paparazzi who followed their tail on motorbikes, cars and electric scooters forcing them to adjust the route.
They were diverted to NYPD’s 19th Precinct on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where Harry and Meghan were moved safely into a yellow cab whilst the road was blocked off by the SUV and following police vehicles. But the motorbikes and scooters continued to follow.
One eye witness explained the driver of the cab was chatting to police after getting caught up in the chaos.
They said: "As Harry, Meghan and Doria sat in the back of the cab, their taxi became stuck in traffic. It was at this moment several snappers who had followed them began to take pictures of them.
"At one point, two police cars were several vehicles behind their taxi with the lights and sirens on, but they were attending another call, not realising what was developing in front."
Harry's security has launched a probe into the incident to "evaluate the events" that led up to the trio being pursued around 10pm after leaving the awards ceremony in Manhattan where Meghan, 41, was honoured at the Women of Vision Awards.
According to reports, one cameraman allegedly hit a car during the pursuit whilst another almost ran over a police officer involved in the incident.
Despite warnings from police, four members of the paparazzi allegedly ignored the warnings as they continued to pursue and at least one of the 12 vehicles following is said to have run a red light, reversed down a one-way street and mounted the pavement.
During the incident, 38-year-old Prince Harry has been reported to have captured some of the photographers with his iPhone camera whilst one of the couple's security sat in the front passenger seat.
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