Diana driver's blood samples 'were fixed and probably belonged to someone else', inquest hears

Professor Atholl Johnston said the chances of the official findings from Henri Paul's body being accurate were one in 10,000.

The clinical pharmacologist, who was hired by Mohamed Al Fayed to examine the French results, even claimed the samples said to be from the driver's corpse may have come from someone else.

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Separate British and French inquiries have concluded that Paul was more than double the UK drink-drive when he chauffeured Diana on her final journey in August 1997.

The London hearing has been told that he consumed two glasses of the strong aniseed spirit Ricard shortly before setting off in the black Mercedes.

But Mr Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died also died in the crash, believes samples from the driver may have been switched to cover up an MI6 conspiracy to murder the princess.

French pathologist Dr Gilbert Pepin said tests on two samples said to be of Paul's blood gave alcohol concentration readings of 1.74 and 1.75 grammes per litre, and a third test of eyeball fluid gave a reading of 1.73g.

But Prof Johnston, from Barts hospital in London, said it was 'improbable' that there would be almost identical findings from three samples taken from different parts of his body - suggesting they had been fixed.

He said: "The one thing that disturbed me the most in terms of the alcohol is this close agreement of 173, 174 or 175.

"Any analyst I've suggested that is probable to just went 'What?'

"I said those three results would be implausible from the first day I saw them."

Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker interjected: "What are you suggesting, that suggests to you that the results had been cooked?"

Prof Johnston replied: "That would be my interpretation."

He claimed that Dr Pepin 'altered the results' on at least one sample by recalculating.

The jury has also heard evidence that the blood samples indicated that he unexplained high levels of carbon monoxide in his system.

Professor Johnston rejected the possibility that this was just the result of a measuring glitch.

"The most likely explanation is that it isn't Henri Paul's blood," he said.

He added that the French lab had shown a 'disgraceful' lack of care looking after and labelling the samples from Paul's body which would be an affront to most scientists.

"Where did these samples come from? Were they indeed Henri Paul's? We do not know."

Asked if he believed the French lab had tampered with the results to make them fit, he said: "I can't say anything of the sort.

"I just don't know, this is what the jury have to make up their minds about."

Paul died alongside Diana and Dodi after crashing their car into the pillar of a Paris underpass early on August 31 1997.

Mr Al Fayed believes the Princess and his son were killed on the orders of Prince Philip because she was pregnant and they were planning to marry.