Prince Harry demanded that New York police arrest the paparazzi he accused of chasing his car through Manhattan, new documents appear to reveal.

The Duke of Sussex accused the New York Police Department of a “cover-up” and threatened to file an official complaint, according to letters and emails obtained by a Daily Mail freedom of information request.

In May 2023, the Duke and Duchess claimed they were subjected to a “relentless pursuit” by paparazzi through the streets of Manhattan, although this was subsequently downplayed by authorities.

An unnamed member of TorchStone, the Duke’s security company, wrote to John B Hart, the NYPD’s intelligence chief, later that year complaining that no charges had been brought.

‘Intentionally misled’

Harry felt “intentionally misled and is suspicious of a cover-up”, the letter stated.

It demanded that the police should make arrests by the following day or explain why they had not done so.

The Duke “would like the arrests of the paparazzi to happen or have an official letter stating why they have not been arrested or a letter from the DA’s [district attorney’s] office on why they haven’t accepted charges,” it reads.

The letter added that Harry planned to file a “formal complaint about the handling of the situation” and had contacted the office of Gavin Newsom, the California governor, to “assist in finding the right point of contact” in the DA’s office for “further discussions”.

So far, no arrests have been made over the incident.

‘Near catastrophic car chase’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” in May last year as they left an awards ceremony.