The police officer who led the investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, dismissed yesterday “scurrilous allegations” that he had not done his job properly.

Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, also said that he would be demanding an apology.

Britain’s former top policeman produced the Paget report into the Paris crash in August 1997 that killed the Princess, her lover Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul, the car’s driver.

He spoke out as he began giving evidence at the inquests at the High Court in London.

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Ian Burnett QC, counsel to the Princess’s inquest, told the jury that there had previously been observations of discrepancies between what Mr Paul’s parents had been told and what was in the final Paget report.

Lord Stevens replied: “I would say these are scurrilous allegations.”

He then added: “I’m looking for an apology for this in due course.”

Lord Stevens said: “It’s quite outrageous. I will take that on my behalf, but I will not have it said about people who worked for me for four years who sometimes can’t defend themselves about these issues.”

Lord Stevens launched Operation Paget in 2004 at the request of Michael Burgess, the Royal Coroner who was overseeing the future inquest at the time.

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