Two key witnesses refuse to testify at Diana inquest

Jacques Langevin, a paparazzi photographer who took the last picture of Diana outside the Paris Ritz, has apparently reversed an earlier decision to appear as a witness.

He is joined on the sidelines by French taxi driver Le Van Thanh, who many believe was the driver of the Fiat Uno that collided with Diana's car in the Pont d'Alma tunnel.

Scroll down for more...

Le Van Thanh, 32, has refused repeated requests from coroner Lord Justice Scott-Baker to attend the inquest.

The loss of both men is a severe blow to the investigation. Their evidence could have quashed the many conspiracy theories, including the claim that Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were executed by MI6.

Last week the jury was shown CCTV footage of Dodi's driver Henri Paul waving at Langevin as he walked around to the back of the Paris Ritz.

Scroll down for more...

Moments later Langevin slipped around to the rear of the hotel, and took the picture of Diana through the front of the car windscreen, just before they set off.

Had it been established that Paul was in the pay of the paparazzi it might have ruled out claims that he was bribed by the secret services. The assistant head of Ritz security had £1,200 in his pocket that night and £170,000 in his bank account.

Langevin, 54, will now not be telling the inquest what the truth is, according to his friends.

Scroll down for more...

Fabrice Chassery, another paparazzi who has also declined to give evidence, said his colleague changed his mind about being a witness after the coroner released the picture he took. It was shown to the jury on Tuesday then handed to the media.

Mr Chassery said: "It is Jacques' photograph. I was standing next to him when he took it. Nobody asked him if they could use his picture. He is very upset. He never wanted this picture to be published."

Although the photo was taken miles from the crash scene, it is still the subject of court action in France by Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed.

The Harrods boss is appealing against a French court's decision to fine Langevin and two other photographers just one euro each for breaking privacy laws by taking a picture of his son inside his car.

A source close to Langevin said: "The use of this picture is not Jacques' fault but it will serve to just further inflame Mr Al Fayed. Jacques is in a lose-lose situation.

"That is why he is now saying he will not help the authorities. He says they have betrayed him."

As with Langevin, the authorities in France or England cannot compel Le Van Thanh to attend.

Had he finally admitted being the driver of the Fiat Uno he could have described the view he would have had of the Mercedes smashing into the tunnel wall.

Le Van Thanh could also have told the jury whether there was anyone else present at the time of the crash. His account could have ruled out theories about foreign agents and assassins --which were fuelled by the failure to trace the driver of the white Fiat Uno which fled the crash.

The taxi driver, then a security guard, was picked up by police six weeks after the accident. But after six hours of questioning he was released without charge, and ruled out of the hunt for the Uno driver.

Lord Stevens, in the Paget Report, said he should not have been ruled out. He also indicated he considered Le Van Thanh a strong suspect.

Shortly after, Le Van Thanh's father Francois said his son had resprayed his white Uno red hours after the accident - waking up his mechanic brother in the middle of the night to help him.

Le Van Thanh, now a father of two, made it clear that he had no interest in helping the coroner. Tracked down by The Mail on Sunday, he said: "I do not want to get involved in this. It happened a long time ago."