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Gordon Brown said today that a rerun of the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales would waste more of MI6's time, in an apparent warning to Mohamed Al Fayed.
The Harrods owner was today meeting with his lawyers to discuss whether to continue his marathon legal battle to prove that the Princess and his son Dodi Fayed were murdered by the secret services, it emerged this morning.
But Mr Al Fayed came under pressure to give up the fight, as the Prime Minister joined the chorus of those saying it is time to move on from the tragedy.
Mr Brown told Sky News today: "I believe... that our security services, who have co-operated with the inquiry to the fullest, have or would continue to be diverted from the important work they do if we had to have another rerun of this.
"So I think it’s important we draw a line."
Mr Brown added his voice to those of the Princess's sons, Princes William and Harry, who said in a rare joint statement last night that they accepted the verdict of unlawful killing.
"I think the Princes, William and Harry, have spoken for the whole country when they say this is time to bring this to an end," said Mr Brown
The jury yesterday returned a verdict that the Princess was unlawfully killed by the gross negligence of a drunk chauffeur in a Paris road tunnel, while being pursued by paparazzi photographers. She might have lived if she had worn a seatbelt, the jury said.
The car was driven by Henri Paul, one of Mr Al Fayed's own security officers from the Ritz Hotel, but Mr Al Fayed has never accepted the evidence that Mr Paul was over the drink-drive limit.
The inquest sat for 91 days and heard 278 witnesses and statements at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £9 million. The former head of MI6 and a number of serving MI6 officers were among those to give evidence.
The coroner gave free rein to Mr Al Fayed to air his theories that the August 1997 car crash was a murder plot engineered by the British and French authorities at the behest of the Duke of Edinburgh, to silence the Princess and to prevent her dating Muslim men and campaigning against the use of landmines.
In his summing up, however, Lord Justice Scott Baker directed the jury to discount the allegations of murder, as not a shred of evidence had been brought to substantiate them.
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I don't want to see another penny of my hard-earned and deeply-resented taxes go towards indulging the little twerp's fantasies. We could have had a lot of much-needed hospital equipment for the cost of this inquest.
Martin, London,
So Lord Justice Scott Baker directed the jury to discount the allegations of murder - what a pity he didn't allow them the freedom to make up their own mind!
S Tracy, Port Talbot, Wales
What in the name of national pride allows this fellow
to so abuse the dignity of the royals and the nation.
He and his son were more responsible than any of the conspiritors he tries to implicate in the death of Diana. Show him the door!
LEN, Sydney, Australia
The question now appears to be if the French driver was an employee of Al Fayed and / or his hotel and driving a company car while under the influence of alcohol - is there now a case to be put into motion in French courts on behalf of the injured for negligence? It would also follow that any insurance compensation would be null and void and as such compensation would follow from the parties involved to wit: Mr. Al Fayed and his hotel. If not - why not?
M.J. Finner, Calgary, Canada
Julia please! Have a heart!
You are forgetting a father has lost his dear son and is fighting against all odds in what he believes happened. Whether right or wrong none of us will ever know.
Please don't confuse your own personal dislike against people of different culture and background for whatever reason which has nothing to do with this enquiry.
Vernon, Milton Keynes, UK
The quickest way to get rid of this thorn in England's flesh is to make him 'persona non grata' and deport him. He doesn't as far as I know have British Citizenship.
Let him rant from overseas.
Howard, Basildon, England
Unlawfully killed, yes, most of us thought that on the day, Diana was working for a land mine free world, maybe those individuals who profit from the sale of such items should be considered as suspects, far more likely than family surely.
Clive Burghard LANCING, LANCING, ENGLAND
Was there any follow up regarding the White Fiat that was supposedly in the Tunnel at the time of the accident?
It would seem that the driver of this car might have come forward after the tragedy, since they would not be to blame...since the car of The Princess was going so fast.
This puzzles me and wonder if there was any mention of this at the Inquiry.
Janice, Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada
Why is Fayed still in the UK after his appalling behaviour?
julia, london,
Mr Al Fayed doesn't want to have anything to do with the truth or the facts surrounding the death of Diana and his son Dodi.
It was Mr Al Fayed's drunk employee who drove the car at excessive speed with his occupants not wearing seat belts. A sober British security officer properly trained in defensive driving would have been able to deal with the chasing paparazzi without completely losing control of his vehicle.
Rather than confront the truth himself, which means accepting at least part of the responsibility for the deaths, Mr Al Fayed continues to delude himself into believing his ridiculous conspiracy theories.
Mike, Worcester,
A tragic ending to a complex story. However, the father needs to put an end to the needless inquiries. When one drives and drives, and is mericilessly pursued by crazy, insane photographers, you can expect bad things to happen.
The conspiracy theory is totally unwarranted and continues to keep sad memories alive. Let the dead rest in peace.
JIM, san diego, California, USA
Mr Al Fayed should fight for the truth.
kate, london,
Mohamed Al Fayed deserves to rest as much as Diana.
Milo, London, UK