The Daily Mail is confirming what we wrote yesterday, that Prince William “is more than happy for his friends to look out for Miss Middleton”.

A source close to William said, “He has asked his mates to keep an eye out for Kate so that they don’t bump into each other anywhere too public.”

As I write, we haven’t been able to identify the mystery man in the pink shirt seen leaving the Mahiki club with Kate Middleton. There seems to have been a blonde woman involved too, so maybe the event was not as significant as some are suggesting.

We know that Jamie Murray Wells, of Glasses Direct fame, was on hand to shepherd Kate through the hordes of paparazzi waiting for anyone remotely connected with the Royal Family.

William himself was at the club last night, leaving at 1.30am with that familiar glazed-eyed expression common to night owls. No female was involved, just a burly male minder.

Well, it had to come. Someone like Kate Middleton is not going to stay single for long.

Yesterday she was pictured with an unknown chap in a pink shirt at — yes, you’ve guessed it — the Mahiki club, a favourite Royal wateringhole.

Attending the throng with the ubiquitous Guy Pelly, Kate was seen leaving with her mystery man, and clearly very happy about it too.

No doubt a name will emerge today and we’ll know whether Kate is serious or just having a laugh with us. He could, after all, just be a decoy.

But enough of conspiracy theories. We’ll wait on results.

Richard Kay has inside information on official attitudes to Prince Harry’s drinking sprees in West End nightclubs and bars.

Strong advice has been given him by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group, which looks after Harry’s security. He has been advised to stop going to a number of fashionable watering holes, including his favourite, Mahiki in Dover Street, where Harry and pals spent around £11,000 (nearly $22,000) last Saturday night.

According to Kay, this also includes Chinawhite, Pangaea, Crystal and Movida, all favourites of the playboy Prince. “The reason the 22-year-old Sandhurst graduate has been asked to avoid these particular nightspots is because of a violent turf war which has erupted between rival nightclub doormen following the arrest of criminal kingpin Terry Adams.

Explains my police source (writes Kay) : “Four days before Terry was sentenced, Hassan, who runs the door on six London clubs, was badly beaten up by goons who work for another bouncer. When Terry was arrested, it created a massive power vacuum in clubland.

“As a result of the violent clash, eight nightclubs in Westminster were closed for business for at least part of last week after taking advice from Scotland Yard. All the clubs are now open for business again, but police still fear that revellers could get caught up in revenge attacks.

“The Central London vice squad contacted the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group and advised them to tell Harry to stay away. The people involved in this turf war are totally ruthless and don’t give a damn about anyone. There are rumours that there might be a shooting or a petrol bomb, and the last thing they want is Harry to end up getting hurt.”

A spokesman for Westminster City Council said last night : “We are aware of the ongoing police investigation and are liaising with the clubs.”

According to Katie Nicholl, Kate Middleton has warned Prince William against associating with former mutual friend, Guy Pelly (pictured with Kate). Tensions are said to be fraught between Pelly and Kate after she took him aside and complained about his behaviour.

Pelly, who is now general manager of The Connection bar in South Kensington, has been involved in a series of escapades in his self-appointed role as the two Princes’ “court jester”. They include allegedly mooning at the window of a crowded restaurant where he was working as a waiter, and climbing onto the roof of an all-girls school. His companion was said to have broken a leg in the incident which ended both in hospital and a police station.

“Kate likes Guy and they have fun when they’re out together but she thinks he can be childish and irresponsible, especially after a few drinks,” said a Royal mole quoted in the UK Mail on Sunday. “She seems quite keen to move William away from Guy … He’s been going around with his tail between his legs ever since, trying to behave himself.”

We’re beginning to see what a good influence Kate has become on the Prince in the run-up to what is now looking like an inevitable date with Westminster Abbey.