Blood tests on Diana driver 'unsatisfactory'

A pathologist on Wednesday raised doubts about whether blood tests proved that Princess Diana's driver was drunk when he crashed into a concrete pillar a decade ago.

Professor Peter Vanezis told a coroner's inquest examining the deaths of Diana and boyfriend Dodi Fayed that records regarding the blood samples were unsatisfactory, raising questions that can only be answered by the French team responsible.

"I would say the chain of custody was virtually nonexistent," he said, characterizing it as "chaotic."

Police in France and Britain, relying on the French tests, concluded that driver Henri Paul was over the legal limit for alcohol, and held him responsible for the fatal crash on August 31, 1997.

Al Fayed contends that the blood tests were faked.

Video images from the hotel in the hours before the crash showed Paul apparently walking normally, even able to balance while squatting to tie his shoelaces.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/30/diana.inquest.ap/index.html