PRINCE Harry and wife Meghan’s account of a “near-catastrophic” car chase was dismissed as an “exaggeration”.

Protection experts also blamed the couple’s private security team for causing unnecessary drama in New York on Tuesday night.

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Meanwhile, police sources disputed their claims of a “relentless” two-hour high-speed pursuit.

Cabbie Sukhcharn Singh, who picked up the Sussexes and Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland, said they “obviously didn’t grow up in New York”.

He added: “I think that’s all, you know, exaggerated. I don’t think I’d call it a chase.”

A photographer who witnessed the incident said the couple’s security team pulled dangerous manoeuvres and blocked streets trying to evade paparazzi.

The snapper, who asked not to be named, said: “They were heading east on 57th Street and came to a stop at a red light at 8th Avenue.

“It’s two lanes of traffic in each direction and they pulled out on to the opposite side of the road into oncoming traffic. But they got stuck in the middle of the road. It caused absolute chaos.”

Another photographer told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Their driver was making it a catastrophic experience.”

A high-ranking NYPD insider said the chase “definitely wasn’t two hours”, adding its escort had around 20 minutes of interaction with Meghan and Harry’s convoy.

Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, had been bundled into an SUV at 10pm after an awards ceremony at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom.

As their security team circled the streets, they were followed by around six vehicles, as well as photographers on motorcycles.

It was claimed one vehicle mounted a kerb and two cops reported having a “near miss”.

The NYPD escort led the royal couple to a police station where they waited for 15 minutes before hailing Mr Singh’s taxi.

When that got blocked by a bin lorry, it headed back to the station.

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Mr Singh recalled: “They didn’t say much. They just asked my name and then after that Harry said, ‘Thanks’ and ‘Have a good day’.”

He said they paid the $17 fare and left a $50 tip.

Police blocked traffic before the couple set off with no paparazzi in tow, arriving at a friend’s on the Upper East Side around midnight.

Ken Wharfe, who was Princess Diana’s protection officer for six years, said the security team “badly mishandled” the situation.

He told The Sun: “It should have been a very, very simple operation of escorting VIPs from one place to another but it turned out to be an absolute disaster.”

Another former royal protection officer, who asked not to be named, added: “What a s***show. Stepping into a taxi during that mess was madness.”

Mark Selden, founder of Allstar Security, called the couple’s story “a bit suspect”.

He said: “To be in a place where you’re driving around for two hours is a bit suspicious. Your security team is supposed to have things mapped out.”

It comes amid Harry’s ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over his protection in the UK.

Thomas Buda, whose security firm is contracted to help Harry and Meghan, told CNN the chase lasted 90 minutes.

He accused paparazzi of driving through red lights and into oncoming traffic.

Picture agency Backgrid USA said it was investigating claims the Sussexes’ safety was threatened.

An NYPD statement said photographers made transport “challenging” but there were “no collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests”.