Prince celebrates

Oct 10, 2006, 14:19 GMT

Britain's Prince Harry celebrated the end of his military training course with an evening of drinking.

Harry and his 28-strong entourage went out in the rural town of Wiltshire, in England, where the 22-year-old recently completed a five week military course at Battlesbury Barracks.

The group went for dinner at local restaurant The Mill, before moving on to a nearby pub and then a nightclub.

Graham Mehta, the owner of The Mill, was impressed by the group's behaviour and insists they left a generous tip.

He told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "They left a good amount of notes with Harry's grandmother's face on them. And they were all very charming."

Meanwhile, army commanders have announced plans to ban Harry from serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.

The decision is said to have infuriated the young royal, who will serve as an officer when he is finally assigned to a regiment.

Harry believes he will lose the respect of his men and be nothing but a "toy soldier" if he is never posted anywhere dangerous because of his royal status.

However, senior army officers feel the life of the third in line to the throne cannot be risked in a dangerous combat zone.

A senior Household Cavalry officer said: "The fact is that his royal appointment could make him a target and put the lives of his soldiers in danger."

(C) BANG Media International