I must say this is very convincing. In 40 years in MI6 this man is saying we have not killed anyone. No wonder we lost our whole empire. The security services are being run by pacifists.

I am now hoping this man is an accomplished liar or we are really in trouble. I would be very interested to see how many bullets they purchased during the last 40 years if they have not shot anyone.

Unless they are using a different meaning for assassination.

John, Highlands, Scotland

I thought Americans were the Number One conspiracy nuts of the western world. I guess the Brits are making a push for the top spot. Good Luck!

Scott, San Francisco,

Read the last paragraph of the article as reproduced below.

''MI6 operates on a need-to-know basis to control the spread of sensitive information to those requiring it for specific activities'' i.e. carrying out thoses activities.

So Sir Richard was not told of any plots so he could now issue a plausible denial.

K. Urban, London, UK

Nothing more than fodder for the masses.

Patrick McAree, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Ten years and millions of pounds later the three people who died are still dead. The only thing thats happening is that Al Fayed is costing us a fortune chasing ghosts that aren't there. . . and probably never where.

James, Glasgow,

I should think the last person to know what is going on in MI6 is the boss. Life teaches that the Boss is only told what he wants to hear.
But I agree that it is very unlikely our spooks were involved.

Jack, Bristol,

This clearly raises questions about the amount of power that the secret services in these situations. What is preventing MI6 from knowing all the jury's questions before they have even been asked? We really don't know what information Her Majesty's service can get her hands on. I find the whole investigation quite contradictory. It is impossible for the public to know who upholds the power; is it the monarchy or MI6?

Alan, Bishop's Stortford, UK

This inquiry is an embarrassment to the country. The only reason it has got this far is because for 10 years Al Fayed has thrown money and influence behind this fabricated conspiracy story designed to embarrass the British establishment, an entity he will never be a part of, no matter how much he wishes it. The only outstanding question is the fate of the white Fiat, the media should spend less time drooling over the grubby little details and find the White Fiat. Let's all just grow up and let everyone involved get on with their lives. Al Fayed has to accept that his son died in an accident and end all this stupidity once and for all.

Alastair, Somerset,

Accidents happen all the time. Mr Fayed should get over it and stop wasting money and time and the taxpayers expense.

Christina B, London,

Well, he's hardly likely to stand there and admit it is he???

Steven Porter, Barcelona, Spain

He said no they didn,t, thats ok then. I believe him!!!
What possible reason could he have to lie?

Alan, Chelmsford, UK

I am really really disappointed with today's revelations. I always thought the SIS operated like the FSB/ ISI/ CIA/ BND/ SHISH etc. The question is, why doesn't it?

J. Lockhart, Evesham, UK

"Aren't the secret services trained and accomplished liars?" -- No. If they lie all the time, they lose the confidence of the governments they serve and they lose their jobs. Look at the problems the U.S. intelligence community faces over the Iraq weapons of mass destruction capability. They were mistaken, and the U.S. finds itself in a very expensive and annoying war.

Mohammed al Fayed's accusations are hard to believe. Accidents happen, even to royalty. Ask Gustavus Adolphus. And royalty acts stupidly over love. Ask the Duke of Windsor.

At least in the United States we can get rid of them after 8 years.

Gregory Baker, Odenton, Maryland, USA

What is so difficult to understand in a drunk is speeding and crashes. The only person who survives was wearing his seat belt. Happens all the time. Only diffirence here is that the employer of the drunk driver will not take responsibility for his employees actions and instead blames evryone else.

Nona, New York City, USA

Dearlove "suggested that if MI6 had planned to assassinate anyone, he would certainly have noticed".

This will be the same secret service - whether MI5 or MI6 - that allowed Peter Wright (of Spycatcher infamy) and his bunch of "Young Turks" to carry out activities designed to destabilise Harold Wilson's government of the 1960's then ? The Director at the time noticed that, did he ?

Though I will admit that a royal assassination is rather a more ambitious plot than mere political interference, bugging and low-level treachery and would have been difficult to conceal.

A.Kirk, Manchester, UK

How on earth are so many people completely incapable of moving on....? Really, this is barely newsworthy. If the secret service are forced into such an undertaking then it must be for the good of the country, not Fleet Street. Accept the fact that she died in a car crash like 1500 other British citizens last year. I would propose to the Daily Mail obsessed masses that she was not an angel, and with £100m in the bank from a divorce, clearing a few land mines hardly worthy of such attention.

Duncan , London, England

As Mandy said -'he would wouldn't he'.

m wilson, bidache, france

Aren't the secret services trained and accomplished liars?

Stuart Murray, Amsterdam, Netherlands