IT was a sure-fire bet that Prince Harry would make the news one way or another when he came down to Dorset for the next stage of his Army career.

Shortly after his arrival at Bovington came the revelation he'd met up his glamorous girlfriend Chelsy Davy in a secluded Purbeck hamlet called Shaggs.

But now the latest tabloid headlines about the young Royal's activities have been dismissed as a storm in a teacup.

Britain's favourite red top, The Sun, alleged at the weekend that several mums had complained to senior officers about the reckless Prince speeding at his barracks in Bovington Camp.

According to the paper the mums claimed Second Lieutenant Wales, who is on a four-month tank commanders' course, regularly flouts the 20mph speed limit inside Allenby Barracks in his black Audi A3 Coupe.

One is quoted as saying: "The boy needs to slow down before he has a serious accident and ends up injuring himself, or worse, someone else."

She adds: "A number of mums have got together to have a word with senior officers and they have promised to get it sorted."

But the Ministry of Defence admitted it is baffled by the claims after the Army revealed it has no record of any complaints or any witnesses. Wool Parish Cou-ncil clerk Nicki Johnson said they had heard of "no complaints at all" from local people about the prince's driving.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: "The MOD has looked into the matter and they are not aware of any such issue. We encourage everyone to drive as safely as they can," he added.

The prince, who is a regular target for the paparazzi, is half-way through a troop commander's course at the Armour Centre, in Bovington, where he is learning how to lead a troop of four Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles into battle.

When he completes the course he will rejoin his regiment the Blues and Royals in Windsor, where he will command a troop of 11 men. Earlier this month it emerged how he has rented a £1,500-a-week, isolated cottage on a farm owned by the Weld's Estate, in an area of Lulworth called Shaggs, while he finishes his training.

There have been several reports that Harry's Zimbabwean sweetheart Chelsy Davy has been whisked away to the cottage on a number of occasions.

The party prince was also seen dancing the night away with a group of 15 friends at Bournemouth bar Toko in June.