Photographer bragged about fleeing scene, Diana inquest hears

A photographer at the centre of claims that Diana, Princess of Wales, was murdered, bragged to a famous crime novelist that he was at the scene of her fatal car crash undetected, her inquest has heard.

James Andanson, who owned a battered white Fiat Uno, claimed he was in the Alma Tunnel in Paris in the early hours of August 31 1997, the jury was told.

Mr Andanson - who was himself found dead in controversial circumstances two and a half years later - told writer Frederic Dard and his wife Francoise that he had taken "explosive" unpublished photographs of the smash, but kept them locked in a secret safe.

He said he had hidden himself away from the rest of the pack of photographers to catch Diana and Dodi Fayed leaving the Ritz Hotel, and chased them through Paris, Mrs Dard told the London inquest by video link.

Mr Andanson claimed he then took pictures of the crash, but cleverly escaped before the police rounded up other photographers, initially suspecting them of causing the smash, the court heard.

Mrs Dard, who has herself since been widowed, told the jury that she later had doubts about what he said however, telling the court: "I realised it was too simple to be true."

She said Mr Andanson also claimed to have taken the famous picture of Sarah, Duchess of York, sucking the toes of Texan businessman John Bryan, recounting in detail how he said he said he had hidden to take it.

"(He told us) he had many others of the specific event and that the other photographs were in his safe," she added. The court heard that she later learnt the pictures of the Duchess had been taken by another photographer, however.

The jury has heard that Mohamed al Fayed believes Mr Andanson's car was the mystery white Fiat which collided with Diana and Dodi's Mercedes moments before the tragedy.

Police established from paint scratches and debris that the vehicle had indeed collided with a white Fiat Uno around the entrance of the Alma tunnel, but the other car was never traced.

Mr Andanson owned a white Fiat which he sold shortly after the Paris crash.

Police discounted the possibility of his involvement however after he produced documentary evidence suggesting he was at his home 177 miles away.

His death in May 2000, when he was found dead in his burnt-out car in the south of France, deepened the mystery.