In prince's club, I was solicited for drugs within 20 minutes

I had been leaning on the black granite bar of Pangaea, scene of Prince Harry's latest after-hours antics, for barely 20 minutes when I was solicited for drugs.

The young City slicker - who I had told moments earlier that I was a journalist - wanted to know if I "had any gear". Not sure I had understood correctly I asked him to be more precise. Without hesitating, he said he was looking for a gram of cocaine - more than enough for a good night out.

I was at the club, near the Ritz hotel, to see what kind of venue Harry had been attending before his confrontation with photographers-To some, Pangaea, a spinoff-from the New York and Marbella originals, is wonderfully trashy. To others it borders on sleazy. The clientele appeared to include dozens of rich girls, City boys with fat wallets, wannabe models and middle-aged executives looking for midweek kicks.

Co-owned by Sophie Anderton's latest boyfriend Mark Alexiou, the high-priced members bar has played host to Beyoncé ‹nowles, Justin Timberlake and Rio Ferdinand. Membership is ?500 a year. There is a ?500 minimum spend for a table and ?70 tips are not uncommon. Those on the guest list have to pay a ?15 entry fee.

Doormen ferry people out of the way to let in big-spending regulars, while a girl behind the cordonedoff area ignores inquiries.

Inside, fashion victims strike poses against the dimly lit black walls and leather furniture, Sloaney princesses armed with daddy's credit card strut around, public school boys do their Justin Timberlake imitations, City boys throw money about and men over 50 eye the skimpily clad.

On the walls are black and white prints of exotic models.

African masks and bamboo conjure up decadent exoticism. At the foot of the stairs, a nearnaked man in body paint poses as a statue, occasionally reaching out to scare the girls.

There are secretive booths where the money men can set up camp - ordering champagne at ?1,000 a bottle and luring beauties to join the party. Two bars serve cocktails at ?10 a go and waitresses in slinky dresses flirt in the hope of increased tips.

The talk is of Harry's behaviour the previous evening, when he lashed out at the paparazzi outside. One reveller says: "Poor Harry. I mean, anyone would have done the same thing."