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Police have come under fire for refusing to release details about Prince Andrew's bodyguards' movements on the night he allegedly had sex with a teenage girl.

Prince Andrew infamously claimed he was at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, on March 10, 2001 - the day he's accused of having sex with Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, in London.

Virginia, who was 17 at the time, says she was trafficked by the prince's paedophile billionaire pal, Jeffrey Epstein.

Mirror Online submitted a Freedom of Information Act request asking for details of his police bodyguards' movements on that day - but the Met has knocked it back, claiming the information could put national security at risk and aid criminals.

The Met's decision has been branded "daft" by a security expert, and an anti-monarchy campaigner branded the explanation "nonsense".

(Image: Collect Unknown)

Professor Anthony Glees, an expert on security and intelligence at Buckingham University, told Mirror Online that the refusal was "daft", saying: "I think in this case it would be unreasonable to deny your request as there are no conceivable national security implications.

"As a senior royal, Prince Andrew would have been given protection.

"There are no reasonable grounds for not confirming this."

(Image: BBC)

His views have been echoed by Graham Smith, who heads campaign group Republic - which lobbies for an end to the monarchy.

Mr Smith said: "Their response is nonsense and should be challenged.

"It is common knowledge that senior royals have police protection, as it is with the PM and some other government ministers.

"Revealing locations from 19 years ago can not possibly reveal personal data either directly or indirectly.

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"In my opinion the police are keen not to risk embarrassing the royals and are misusing legitimate exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to let themselves off the hook"?

And he continued: "The police are tasked with protecting the royals from physical harm, not from legitimate inquiry, criminal investigation or embarrassment.

"I hope this decision will be challenged as far it needs to go."

(Image: BBC)

In a BBC Newsnight interview in November, Andrew claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on one day he was said to have had sex with the teenager, and said that he had also lost the ability to sweat due to coming under fire in the Falklands War.

He admitted staying in Epstein's mansion for three days in 2010, after Epstein's conviction for sex offences against a minor.

Days after it aired the Duke was effectively retired from his public duties as member of the royal family.

In a letter refusing to answer the Mirror's Freedom of Information request, the Met said releasing the team's movement "could undermine the safeguarding of national security, allowing those with a criminal intent to gain an operational advantage over the MPS and place those who the MPS have confirmed are afforded protection, as well as protection officers, and members of the public at risk".

The Mirror Online had asked for an hour-by-hour account of the Prince's protection team's whereabouts on the day.