Man throws metal bowl at Princess Royal's car in Fiji

Published on Saturday 8 July 2006 14:30

A MAN was arrested after throwing a metal bowl in the direction of the Princess Royal in the Fijian capital today, police said.

No one was hurt in the fracas outside the Save the Children Fund office in Suva, where the Princess had hosted a charity function.

A 24-year-old man with a history of psychiatric problems hurled a 6in steel bowl at a policeman closing the door of the car the Princess had just entered.

"The officer was near the Princess, but she was already in the vehicle," said police spokeswoman Sylvia Low.

Police chased the man into his nearby house, where he attacked them with a crowbar before being arrested. He is expected to appear before a magistrate on Monday.

It was the second of two incidents yesterday that tested the Princess's security during her three-day visit to the ex-British colony.

Earlier, a 24-year-old drunken electrician was arrested as he entered the grounds of Fiji President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's official residence, where the Princess was staying.