Dodi and Diana were being driven in a Mercedes S280, allegedly being chased by paparazzi on their motorbikes.

There are a number of questions this raises...

As any photographer will know, trying to photograph the occupants of a car at night whilst riding a motorcycle is virtually impossible. Not only will the car windows obstruct vision of the occupants but a flash cannot be used due to creating over-exposure due to reflection. On top of this, you're controlling a motorbike travelling at high speed.

If the paparazzi knew the couple were heading to Dodi's flat, then the obvious choice would be to race to their flat as quick as possible, taking the most direct route, hoping that you beat the car and can position yourself for Diana and Dodi getting out of the car at the other end. Playing high speed cat and mouse games with a sold Mercedes just doesn't make sense.

Diana and Dodi were used to photographers chasing them, the driver was also aware that photographers would be following. A Mercedes S280 is a far safer place to be than a bike. Why should the driver risk life and limb trying to out manouvre the paparazzi, who were a continual nuisance anyway?

However.... What if one of the bikers wasn't a paparazzi and instead overtook the car using a high-powered motorbike and pulled a gun, or was a 'serious' threat?. We know the photographers didn't arrive on the scene until some seconds after the crash. Therefore, who was close enough to the car to pose a real threat?

Some eye witness accounts have reported a motorbike exiting the tunnel at high speed, immediately after the fatal crash.

Why did these witnesses report a bike being in front of the car? Would you overtake a heavy Mercedes on a bike, doing silly speeds, on the entrance to a tunnel? This leads onto the next point....

Initial reports claimed the car was doing 120mph. Although a Mercedes S280 series should be able to cope well at this speed, it is extremely unlikely you would need to do such speeds just to outrun photographers on bikes (has anyone confirmed the makes/models/max speeds of the bikes involved?).

Rock star Phil Collins believes there is more to his friend Princess Diana's death than a simple accident. "I've been laughed at by my friends. But I can't believe the story that Diana was allowed to be driven by a supposedly drunk chauffeur at 120mph." [Ref. News of the World, Jan 18th 1998]

More information coming soon....