By Rebecca Camber
Last updated at 2:08 AM on 5th January 2011

Prince Charles insisted on going to the Royal Variety Performance despite being warned not to by his protection team because of security fears about student riots in the West End, it was claimed last night.

His bodyguards were so concerned they advised him not to travel, but Charles felt that royalty should be present at the show.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI taking him and Camilla to the London Palladium drove into a baying crowd of protesters in Regent Street in the worst royal security breach in a decade.

Now scroll down to see the video footage

Who is she? Close up of the woman the Metropolitan Police are hoping to trace after she was seen attacking the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's car

Who is she? Close up of the woman the Metropolitan Police are hoping to trace after she was seen attacking the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's car

The mob descends: A crowd gathered round the Royal car as it made its way through central London, this newly-released CCTV still shows

The mob descends: A crowd gathered round the Royal car as it made its way through central London, this newly-released CCTV still shows

As Scotland Yard released dramatic CCTV images yesterday showing a girl rioter battering the back of the car with her fists, ITV News reported that royalty protection staff also advised Charles to travel in a less high-profile and more manoeuvrable Jaguar which can easily use side roads.

But Charles insisted on the highly-visible Phantom which is confined to main roads.

Following the attack on the Rolls, Charles refused to criticise the operation and instead praised the officers involved.

The CCTV images show the girl, a brunette in glasses and a thick winter coat, strolling along a central London street. A split second after being pictured hand in hand with her boyfriend, she was caught on camera attacking the Rolls-Royce which was in convoy heading to the Palladium.

Police search: The woman suspect who was seen hitting the back of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI which was carrying Charles and Camilla. Officers also want to trace the man (left) who is a witness

Police search: The woman suspect who was seen hitting the back of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI which was carrying Charles and Camilla. Officers also want to trace the man (left) who is a witness

The girl is thought to be part of a splinter group of anarchists who had attended student demonstrations outside Parliament earlier.

The Duchess of Cornwall's face was a mask of terror as the girl and other rioters swarmed around the vehicle, with one managing to poke her with a stick through an open window.

Camilla cowered on the floor as other masked protesters kicked, hit and rocked the car while chanting 'off with their heads' and 'Tory scum'.

The footage reveals how the girl followed the Rolls then bent down to pick up a dustbin, hurling it at one of the cars behind and shattering the rear window.

A man wearing a black coat and hood is also filmed hitting the chauffeur-driven limousine. A third suspect, a man in a grey hooded top and black jacket, is seen hitting the rear offside window before taking a photograph or video of the shocked royals.

From the air: The route the Royal car took

From the air: The route the Royal car took

Thugs: A male in a grey hooded top and black jacket is seen running up behind the car and hitting the rear right hand passenger window.

Thugs: A male in a grey hooded top and black jacket is seen running up behind the car and hitting the rear right hand passenger window.

Royal shock: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, react as their car is attacked by angry protesters last month

Royal shock: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, react as their car is attacked by angry protesters last month

Caught on camera: A male the police want to trace over the protest last month. He was running up alongside the car before hitting it

Caught on camera: A male the police want to trace over the protest last month. He was running up alongside the car before hitting it

The attack happened on December 9 last year after a student protest against the rise in tuition fees turned violent.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson ordered an internal review into how the royals were driven into the crowd of thugs.

Royal protection officers were warned not to drive down Regent Street 15 minutes before Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were attacked around 7pm.

A police sergeant told a member of the couple's protection team that the area surrounding the road should be avoided because a group of up to 200 thugs was in close proximity.

Tuition fee fury: A youth attacks the vehicle on its way to the Palladium Theatre after Parliament voted to implement the Coalition's proposals to increase tuition fees to 9,000 per year

Tuition fee fury: A youth attacks the vehicle on its way to the Palladium Theatre after Parliament voted to implement the Coalition's proposals to increase tuition fees to 9,000 per year

Into the crowd: Charles and Camilla were quickly surrounded as their vehicle headed straight into an area where the protesters were gathered

Into the crowd: Charles and Camilla were quickly surrounded as their vehicle headed straight into an area where the protesters were gathered

But the advice, logged in official police records, was not followed and the distinctive car was driven straight into the centre of the trouble.

Westminster Council cameras show how the convoy, led by motorcycle police outriders, immediately slowed to a crawl as it was besieged, making the couple sitting ducks.

What the grainy images do not show is any police officers at the scene.

In the immediate aftermath, Sir Paul said Regent Street had been reconnoitred by royalty protection officers a few minutes before the Rolls-Royce arrived and the street was clear. But on the CCTV, there is no sign of any uniformed officers protecting the car on foot.

Scotland Yard has carried out a rapid internal inquiry, producing a report which makes it clear who was to blame for the fiasco, according to police sources.

But no one will face any disciplinary action to the fury of MPs who want a full independent inquiry.

On December 9 the protection squad, which uses its dedicated radio frequency, was not listening to the wider 'GT' radio net used to co-ordinate police response to the riots.

Now it has been recommended that a protection squad officer be stationed in the main control room, listening to the GT net and able to relay information to those on the ground.

Police have yet to arrest anyone over the attack. Detectives are now appealing for help in tracing the girl and two other male suspects.

•Do you know the girl who attacked the royals? Phone the Daily Mail newsdesk on 020 7938 6372 or e-mail news@dailymail.co.uk

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

So where is the image of the poking incident we heard so much about?

Great to see the internet being used as a tool to locate and identify violant thugs. If only one is prosecuted and identified and given a criminal record it will be worth the effort. Good Luck to the cops!

Why were they not being taken, on a night such as `that night` riots n all, in a more secure car, The one with bullet proof glass n run flats sounds just the job. That fancy greenhouse of a car was a poor choice and thats where the problem starts.

Prince Loopy was advised not to go that way but did anyway ... it has to make you wonder if the incident was set up to discredit the students. In any case, it's a storm in a teacup, they came to no harm and were never going to. Get real, eh?

The guy who is holding hands with the woman in glasses is visible in the other photos where the guy in the hoodie is attacking the car so someone should recognize him. And since those 2 are not wearing hats, hoodies or disguises, they are probably stupid young people who just got caught up in the nonsense. No excuse for them participating, however. But they are likely not part of the "professional protester/rabble rouser" bunch. And the man hitting the car in that last photo has a VERY distinctive nose! Now HE looks like he was prepared to cause trouble...

They did not expect to be photographed .Now they must be worried that when caught they will finish up the a criminal record which will affect their future chances in life

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