Kate Middleton's topless pics: Magazine raided in hunt for photographer

Police raided the headquarters of a French magazine on Wednesday as they hunted the photographer who captured the Duchess of Cambridge topless.

Officers arrived at the Closer building in Paris at 10am, with detectives confirming they were looking for information "which might lead to the identity" of the paparazzo responsible.

The investigation was launched by prosecutors in the French capital on Monday, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge later winning an injunction preventing further distribution of the images.

But Christophe Bigot, a barrister who specialises in media law, questioned the legality of the raid, suggesting that it had been authorised solely because members of the Royal family were involved.

The confidentiality of journalistic sources, which include photographers, are strictly protected by French law. "In the case of William and Kate, I do not see how a prosecutor could justify a search of Closer," Bigot told Le Figaro, the French newspaper.

On Tuesday, judges ordered Closer to hand over all files containing the images to representatives of the couple within 24 hours, but there was no order to name the photographer.

The Royal couple's nine-day South Pacific tour came to an end in Australia yesterday.

The Duchess spent less than three hours on Australian soil during her first visit to the country, but it was still time enough for her to win over its people.

Wearing a powder pink floral dress designed by Dannii Minogue, the Australian singer, the Duchess caused excitement at Brisbane airport as she walked through a public departure lounge waving and smiling at people waiting to board flights.

Around 200 local people and travellers stood on viewing platforms taking photographs, alongside five television crews and a dozen newspaper photographers.

The Duke and Duchess, on their way home from their overseas tour, touched down in Brisbane at 11.45am local time and were met by British consular staff who had placed a small square of red carpet on the runway.

Once at their terminal, the Duke, who has been to Australia several times, and his wife delighted travellers by walking through a public area on their way to a VIP suite where they were to wait for their connection to London.

As they came up an escalator into the departure area, surprised passengers scrabbled for their cameras as the couple waved and the Duke shook hands with a young boy.

Despite the brevity of their stay, during which the couple did not officially enter the country, the Duchess managed to fit in a wardrobe change, preparing for the British weather with skinny jeans, a white jumper and patterned scarf.

The Brisbane Times described the flying visit as "a very special moment" for the airport, and television coverage of the Duchess's arrival suggested that it had been an equally special moment for the entire country.

Among those taking pictures of the Duchess was Shelley Jelonek, 35, an Australian who was also on her way to London. She said of the Duchess: "She looked amazing, she is so graceful. It's really impressive that they came up through the normal terminal. I have even more respect for them now."

Members of her family had come to the airport to see her off, including her nephew Cameron Young, 11, who had taken the day off school. Ms Jelonek said Cameron thought the Duke was "really cool". She added: "The kids were really excited to see real royalty in real life. The Royal family is going through a real resurgence in popularity here and it's mainly because of those two."

Deanna Bryant, 37, who was seeing off her British mother-in-law at the airport, said: "It's really nice for people in Australia that she is here, even if it's only briefly. We got a good view of the Duchess as she came up the escalator, she looked lovely. She always looks so comfortable and elegant."

Yoko Asano, from Japan, had just arrived from the Solomon Islands and had seen the royal couple there during their visit. "I'm kind of following them," she joked. "I didn't really expect to see them here but it was good, because it was less crowded here than over there. I could get a good look at them."

Earlier in the day the Royal couple were presented with models of a traditional canoe and house by islanders in Tuvalu as they left the final stop of their tour. A royal source said the couple had thoroughly enjoyed the voyage, adding: "They had one objective - to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It's not for us to judge whether that was a success or not, from their point of view they felt able to do her life, and the diversity of the nations she represents, justice."