Prince William And Girlfriend Chased by 'Threatening' Paparazzi

LONDON – Prince William and his girlfriend were aggressively pursued in their car by "threatening" paparazzi after leaving a London nightclub, the prince's spokesman said Friday.

Paddy Harverson said William was "concerned" about the chase, which came days after the start of an inquest into the death of his mother in a 1997 car crash while being pursued by photographers.

British newspapers published photos Friday of William and Kate Middleton, both 25, in a car after leaving a London nightclub in the early hours.

Harverson said William was "concerned by the threatening behavior of the paparazzi in London last night."

"Having already been photographed leaving the club, he and Kate Middleton were then pursued in his car by photographers on motorcycles, in vehicles and on foot. The aggressive pursuit was potentially dangerous and worrying for them."

The photos of Kate and William were published in the same week as pictures of William's mother, Princess Diana, being driven from the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1997 were released as part of an inquest into her death. The inquest, which opened this week, is charged with determining how Diana came to die with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, in a car crash while being pursued by paparazzi.

Harverson said it "seems incomprehensible, particularly at this time, that this behavior is still going on."

Harverson said the matter had been raised with media watchdog the Press Complaints Commission. In a statement, the commission reminded editors that it was "of the utmost importance not to use photographs which have been taken in a manner that may have compromised the safety of individuals, which may include pursuit in vehicles."

William and Middleton met at St. Andrews University in Scotland and dated for several years, but announced their split in April as speculation swirled that they were about to marry. Middleton had been pursued by photographers outside her London home and nightclubs in scenes that drew comparisons to the coverage of Diana.

Newspapers reported this summer that the pair had rekindled their romance.