France told to pay £5,000 for Diana delays

France was today found liable for "unnecessary delays" in the investigation into Princess Diana's death in a car crash in Paris — and ordered to pay compensation.

A court told the Republic to pay a nominal sum of just under £5,000 to Harrods boss Mohamed Fayed, whose son Dodi died with the Princess in the August 1997 crash.

Judges at the Court of Grand Instance ruled that there had been problems with establishing that the couple's driver, Henri Paul, had been drunk. They said a mix-up over his post-mortem examination, and especially his blood tests, "had delayed without legitimate motive the investigation for almost two years".

France took five years to complete its inquiry and was continually criticised for mistakes.

Disputes concerning how Paul's body was examined was a central plank of conspiracy theories over the Princess's death.

Mr Fayed had claimed £1 million, saying the delay, which did not affect the "accident" conclusion, had been a denial of justice.