Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson today mounted an extraordinary defence of armed protection officers after the worst Royal security blunder in a generation.
Sir Paul hailed the 'enormous restraint' of the team guarding Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, implying the rioters were lucky not to have been shot.
Britain's top policeman condemned the 'hugely regrettable and shocking incident' but insisted the proper procedure had been followed.
The Prince and the Duchess were not hurt but the potential risk to their safety raised serious questions about their security and the police operation.
However, Sir Paul said: 'I do think that the officers who were protecting their Royal Highnesses showed very real restraint - some of those officers were armed.
'Their priority was to get that car to the point of safety, which was the venue, and that was achieved, but it was a hugely shocking incident and there will be a full criminal investigation into it.'
Source: UK Daily Mail
More information on the riots:
UK Mirror
Lubbock Online
London Evening Standard
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