Man charged after egg thrown towards King Charles

PA Media King Charles in LutonPA Media
The King was ushered away from the crowd by close protection officers while meeting members of the public in Luton

A 28-year-old man has been charged with a public order offence after an egg was allegedly thrown at the King during a walkabout in Luton.

Bedfordshire Police did not name the man over the incident which happened outside Luton Town Hall on Tuesday.

He has been bailed to appear at Luton Magistrates' Court in January.

The King was initially steered away from crowds by protection officers during the incident, but continued the visit shortly after.

It came just weeks after a 23-year-old student was arrested after eggs were thrown at the King and Queen Consort during a visit to York.

The BBC's royal correspondent Sean Coughlan, who was in Luton, described a flurry of activity outside the town hall when the apparent egg throwing happened.

While he did not see the egg, our correspondent said the King had been undertaking one of his trademark walkabouts "friendly, close up and with lots of handshakes and a sea of camera phones".

The King went on to meet community leaders, including from the Ghana Society, the Royal British Legion and the Luton Town football academy, as well as officially opening the Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple.

Later, he boarded the DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) - a new airport shuttle which will connect people travelling from Luton Airport Parkway station to the nearby terminal.

Sean Coughlan/BBC News King Charles greeting crowds in LutonSean Coughlan/BBC News
King Charles appeared in jovial form as he undertook one of his trademark walkabouts in Luton