Police feared Andrew would delay search by saying King owned his home, documents show

Thames Valley Police feared Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor might have tried to stop officers entering his home in Sandringham by saying it belonged to the King, according to legal documents.

Senior officers were concerned the King's brother could argue it was not his property, and that separate legal permission would have to be sought before officers could enter it.

Delaying access would have risked the loss of evidence, the force said.

The background to Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest in February has emerged in legal documents, when police asked a judge for warrants to raid the former prince's homes.

Lawyers for Mountbatten-Windsor successfully argued those warrants were unlawful in court last week .

Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest came after the US Department of Justice published material which showed his connections to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The BBC has approached Mountbatten-Windsor's representatives for comment and he has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The arrest of the former prince, on 19 February, was on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

On 18 February, Thames Valley Police asked for permission from the Central Criminal Court for warrants to search Wood Farm in Sandringham and Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The request included the police outlining the scenarios in which they believed they would need search warrants to ensure access to the properties.

They feared that Mountbatten-Windsor or his legal team would want to see "judicial authority" before allowing the police to enter, the documents show.

The police were concerned that Mountbatten-Windsor or his representatives could argue that the Sandringham Estate was the property of King Charles - and that it would be a slow process getting a separate right of access.

Such a delay would "frustrate the nature and purpose of the search," said the police, in their application for search warrants.

There was also a concern that no one would be present at the property and that media attention could be drawn to the police presence outside while not being able to enter.