Prince may abandon Rolls-Royce after attack

The Prince of Wales may have to abandon his historic Rolls-Royce in the wake of the attack by tuition fee protesters, Home Secretary Theresa May hinted yesterday.

Mrs May suggested the Phantom VI might not be “appropriate” for transporting the Prince and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall.

She also confirmed that Camilla had come into contact with the mob who surrounded the car in the West End and poked sticks through the window.

The comments came as the inquest continued into the violent demonstrations over hikes in university charges that rocked central London last week.

Amid reports that Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson offered to resign after the chaotic scenes, Mrs May insisted she had not considered falling on her sword.

She also defended the “robust” police response to the disorder that saw dozens of officers and protesters injured, and more than 30 arrests made.

“What is absolutely crucial is that for those who did inflict criminal damage, for those who were breaking the law, that they should now feel the full force of the law on them,” Mrs May told Sky News’ Sunday Live.

Mrs May refused to speculate on whether crowd control tactics such as water cannon could be used to deal with such protests in future.

“The Met Police obviously have to look at how they should be dealing with these demonstrations,” she said, “They will look across the board and they will be making operational decisions.”

The Home Secretary rejected concerns that coalition spending cuts were hitting royal protection, saying the arrangements were “reviewed regularly” and would be looked at again in light of the assault on Prince Charles and Camilla.

She also raised doubts about the future of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI the couple were travelling in. The car was a gift from the Car Association for the Queen in her Silver Jubilee year of 1977, but there has been criticism that it is too distinctive and not secure enough for regular use. One of the windows was smashed during the attack on Thursday evening.

“What we need to do is find out what happened in this incident and to see whether there is anything that can be learnt from this incident,” Mrs May said.

“For example, I think one of the issues that may very well be looked at is the question of the appropriate transport that is used by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.”