Forget the verdict - the Diana myths will never die

The coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker, ordered these photos to be released as part of his policy of putting as much of the evidence as possible in front of the public, in an attempt to make proceedings open and transparent to all. But he faces an uphill task in producing evidence that will prove to universal satisfaction there was no conspiracy.

It isn't actually true that "you can't prove a negative". In fact, you can, as lots of atheists have endeavoured to establish lately. But it's always hard work. Already, the mere admission that there were MI6 agents operating in France at the time of the crash will be more than enough to feed the conspiracy theorists for years to come, whatever the final verdict.

And there aren't many successful examples of conspiracy theories being satisfactorily demolished. Although the Protocols of the Elders of Zion were long ago fully proven to be a Tsarist forgery, they remain widely credited in the Arab world. Then again, lots of people demonstrating how they can create lovely crop circles with a rope and a plank hasn't killed off the belief they are still made mostly by UFOs.

If there was any point at all to the whole gruesome Da Vinci Code phenomenon, it was to prove that a juicy conspiracy theory will appeal in the absence of any other attraction whatsoever, indeed in the presence of every kind of repellent.

So on we go. There was no Apollo moon landing; both the Queen and Kris Kristofferson are really reptiles; Elvis is touring right now; and all barcodes encrypt the number of the Beast, 666. Didn't you know?

Some of these stories are enjoyable enough. Although scientists long ago invented the eternal light bulb, all the patents were bought up and suppressed by manufacturers to save their profits - the so-called "Phoebus Cartel". Could it be true? Perhaps, perhaps.

And others are simply a very expensive waste of time. What the Diana inquest has delivered so far is some new CCTV pictures of a Sloaney lady going about her business with her sunglasses tilted back on her head. The proceedings are estimated to cost £10 million. It seems possible that our money could have been better spent.

For David Sexton's full column buy Friday's Evening Standard