19 May 2023 , 07:15
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Cars in New York are "not really my priority", Rishi Sunak insisted on Friday after being asked about the security concerns of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following an incident in the US city.
A spokesman for the couple for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, said on Wednesday they 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 officers," he added.
The incident happened after the couple - their first public appearance since King Charles III's Coronation - left the Ms Foundation For Women's 50th-anniversary gala event in New York.
Doria Ragland, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex attended the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Award (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they were pursued by 'aggressive paparazzi' (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for)The NY Police Department said there were no arrests, injuries or reported collisions but said "numerous photographers" had made their transport "challenging".
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Mr Sunak told the BBC he was "not aware of a particular incident in question" when asked whether he had concerns over the privacy and safety of members of the Royal Family.
He added: "In general I wouldn't comment on anything to do with the Royal Family".
Pressed again by the BBC in Hiroshima, Mr Sunak instead sought to talk up the recruitment of 20,000 police officers since 2019 - despite similar numbers being cut since 2010.
The PM said: "I think just as all of us do, we want to make sure that we go about our day-to-day lives in safety and security.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leaving The Ziegfeld Theatre (GC Images)
Meghan Markle with her mum and husband in New York on May 16 (GC Images)"My job as Prime Minister is to ensure everyone feels safe in our country. That's why we put 20,000 more police officers on the street. It's why we're giving them the power to tackle things like knife crime."
But when told the incident under discussion happened in the US, Mr Sunak said: "Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility.
"What is my priority and responsibility is people's safety at home. That's why we've put more police officers on the street and giving them the powers they need to keep us safe".
The comments came as Mr Sunak appeared at the Seifukan tea house in the Shukkeien garden in Hiroshima on the first day of the G7 summit of world leaders.