Night the royals were ambushed

Protesters surrounded, kicked and hit the Rolls-Royce carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before hurling metal dustbins at other cars in the Royal convoy.

The incident ended with Charles and Camilla having to be transported in the back of a police van after the panic-stricken Duchess was poked in the ribs with a stick, possibly part of a placard, and white paint was thrown over the car.

It was so serious that Britain's most senior police officer offered his resignation and it brought back memories of 1974, when four people were wounded during a failed plot to kidnap Princess Anne.

But the thugs responsible are still at large, and police chiefs admitted yesterday that they need the public's help to track them down.

The attack happened in Regent Street in London's West End on December 9 after a crowd split from tuition fees protests outside the Houses of Parliament and instead targeted the distinctive Rolls-Royce Phantom VI carrying Charles and Camilla.

Images from a council CCTV camera show people in the road impeding the convoy, on its way to a Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium, and forcing it to slow down.

The camera pans across the vehicles to show several people kicking and hitting the Royal car. At least three dustbins are thrown at two other vehicles in the convoy, which is accompanied by police motorcyclists.

A woman, wearing a black coat, grey top and glasses, can be seen following the Royal car and hitting it before breaking the rear window of another vehicle with a dustbin.

At another point of the film, the woman is seen holding a man's hand. Police want to speak to him as a witness.

Officers also want to interview two other men – one filmed running alongside the car and another who grabbed the side of it before appearing to take a photograph.

One of the men is wearing a black coat and hooded top in the footage. The other is wearing a grey hooded top and black jacket.

Releasing the footage for the first time, Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Horne said the images were grainy but he believed people would recognise the suspects.

Det Ch Supt Horne is leading a team of investigators responsible for identifying protesters who broke the law during the student demonstrations. The investigation, codenamed Operation Malone, has led to the arrest of more than 180 people, most aged between 17 and 25.

"The student protests saw a number of incidents of violence escalate across central London, including in the shopping areas of Oxford Street and Regent Street during some of the busiest Christmas shopping periods," Det Ch Supt Horne said.

"Police officers were attacked, and buildings and shops had their windows smashed, amongst other acts of vandalism, including an attack on the Royal convoy.

"We believe that most of the people whose pictures we have released may have committed serious offences of violent disorder and criminal damage in this area and urge them, or anybody who knows them, to come forward and speak to us.

"We understand the importance of the right to protest, but people who break the law and endanger those who wish to protest peacefully by committing criminal offences must face the inevitable consequences of their actions.

"I would like to remind anybody involved in attacks of violence that we will investigate them and do everything in our power to bring them before a court.

"Those who are convicted of an offence will have to face the consequences of having a criminal record, which could have a potential impact on their future employment and travel."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson offered his resignation to Prince Charles after the security breach but he was allowed to remain in the job.

An internal police review into the affair has been presented to Home Secretary Theresa May.

STUDENTS CALL OFF FOUR-WEEK SIT-IN

STUDENTS who have spent the last four weeks staging a sit-in protest at their university plan to end their demonstration today after a failed attempt to draw the Archbishop of Canterbury into the dispute.

The group have occupied the Senate building at Kent University since December 8 and remained there throughout Christmas and the New Year.

They staged the sit-in in response to the university's vice-chancellor Julia Goodfellow signing a letter to a national newspaper, which endorsed the rise in tuition fees.

The students wrote to the Archbishop in the hope that he would act as a mediator but they are yet to receive a reply and have decided to continue their campaign outside the building.