Man admits threatening to kill Prince Harry

A man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Prince Harry, police confirmed (PA)

A man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Prince Harry, police confirmed on Sunday.

Ashraf Islam, a 30-year-old homeless man, was arrested after walking into a London police station where he allegedly threatened to kill the Prince, the day after Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death on the streets of Woolwich.

Mr Islam, of no fixed abode, was charged under Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act. He pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court and is due to be sentenced.

Counter-terrorism officers launched an inquiry following the incident at Hounslow police station in south-west London but did not charge Mr Islam with terrorism offences, the Metropolitan Police said.

Prince Harry’s personal security has reportedly been increased after the incident. His first posting to Afghanistan in 2007 was cut short because of security fears when news leaked out about his deployment. The latest incident is likely to stoke fears that the third in line to the throne has become a target for extremists after his tours to Afghanistan.

Prince Harry has increased his public duties for Buckingham Palace in recent months.

The Prince last month completed a week-long tour to the US where he met Michelle Obama and played a charity polo match. The tour took place amid a blizzard of media interest.

St James’s Palace declined to comment on the threat.