Police To Investigate New Information On Deaths Of Princess Diana And Dodi Al Fayed

Police Probe New Diana Death Information
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The deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed are being looked at again by police after they received information.

In a statement, police said: "The Metropolitan Police Service is scoping information that has recently been received in relation to the deaths and assessing its relevance and credibility.

"The assessment will be carried out by officers from the specialist crime and operations command.

"This is not a re-investigation and does not come under Operation Paget."

Police said the deaths of Diana and Mr Al Fayed were "thoroughly investigated" and examined by an inquest led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at the Royal Court of Justice in 2007-2008.

On April 7 2008 the jury concluded its verdict as "unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes", the Met said.

Police said they are not prepared to discuss the matter further.

Diana, Mr Al Fayed and chauffeur Henri Paul died after their Mercedes crashed in the tunnel, which left the Ritz Hotel on the morning of August 31 1997.

The hearing into the deaths of Diana and Mr Al Fayed lasted more than 90 days with evidence from around 250 witnesses.

The inquests concluded on April 7 2008, with a jury returning a verdict that the ''People's Princess'' and her boyfriend were unlawfully killed.

After the hearing, Metropolitan Police said they had spent £8 million on services arising from the inquest and the Operation Paget investigation from 2004 to 2006.

That money includes the cost of the legal team which represented the force's commissioner at the inquest, police protection for the inquest jury and paying for the Paget inquiry, reported to have cost £3.6 million.

Former Met Police Commissioner Lord Stevens's Paget investigation was launched in 2004 at the request of Michael Burgess, the Royal Coroner, who was then overseeing the future Diana inquest.

The former top policeman published his report in December 2006, rejecting the murder claims voiced by some, including Mr Al Fayed's father, Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed.

A royal spokeswoman said there will be no comment on the matter from Prince William or Prince Harry, or from Clarence House.