Diana's death an accident

Mar 6, 2006, 18:33 GMT

The Official inquiry into the death of Princess Diana will conclude that she died in a car crash.

Britain's former top policeman is to state publicly for the first time that he believes Diana was killed in an accident.

The ex-Met commissioner's predicted conclusion follows a two-year probe ordered by royal coroner Michael Burgess.

Lord Stevens' report will form part of the inquest into the princess's death in 1997.

The former police chief and his team are said to have found nothing to contradict French findings into the tragedy.

Authorities in Paris concluded chauffeur Henri Paul was up to four times over the drink-drive limit when he crashed Diana's Mercedes - and also died along with Dodi Fayed.

The car hit a pillar at high speed in the Pont d'Alma tunnel.

A source close to the case is quoted in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper as saying: 'Lord Stevens and his team have carried out a painstaking inquiry into Diana and Dodi's deaths. They will soon be in a position to destroy the conspiracy theories.

'The plain truth is they died in a tragic road accident.'

But legal observers believe Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, father of Diana's lover Dodi Fayed, could object.

Mr Al Fayed has been at the forefront of wild allegations about the crash.

He believes the princess and his son were murdered by British agents because the establishment, including Prince Philip, decided Diana must not marry Dodi, a Muslim.

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International