Police will not launch criminal investigation into Martin Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana
BBC investigation by retired judge to continue despite police dismissing case
The Metropolitan Police will take no further action over BBC journalist Martin Bashir’s controversial interview with Princess Diana in 1995.
A former employee of Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, had made a complaint to the police earlier this year that Mr Bashir had faked documents purporting to be his to persuade Diana to agree to the blockbuster Panorama broadcast on BBC One.
Alan Waller, who had been Earl Spencer’s head of security at the time, alleged Mr Bashir had broken the law by creating false bank statements which implied Mr Waller was being paid by someone else to inform on the siblings.
These were used, he claimed, by Mr Bashir to gain the earl’s trust and induce him into granting access to his sister.
But in a statement released on Thursday, Commander Alex Murray from the Met Police said officers have decided not to pursue a criminal inquiry into the affair.
“In recent months the Metropolitan Police Service received correspondence alleging unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995. This was carefully assessed by specialist detectives.
"They obtained legal advice from Metropolitan Police lawyers, independent counsel and from the Crown Prosecution Service.
"Following this detailed assessment and in view of the advice we received, we have determined that it is not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into these allegations. No further action will be taken.”
Mr Bashir, who is now the corporations religious affairs correspondent, admitted during an internal BBC investigation in 1996 to asking a graphic designer who had worked for the BBC to make the fake documents.
The falsified statements are believed to have suggested several members of the royal household were being paid by outside forces to spy on the princess.
Earl Spencer has said they were key in persuading him to introduce Mr Bashir to his sister, but the BBC’s own investigation turned up a written statement by Diana in which she stated she had not seen the fake bank statements before agreeing to be interviewed by the reporter.
However, the director-general of the broadcaster, Tim Davie, ordered an independent inquiry into the affair last year, to be led by the former Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson. This has yet to be completed.
The Panorama interview was one of the BBC’s biggest scoops in recent times. An audience of almost 23 million tuned in to watch Diana speak candidly about the unfaithfulness on both sides of her marriage with Prince Charles, her struggles with depression, bulimia and self-harm, and her fears the royal family and palace were scheming against her.
While the BBC has reiterated its 1996 apology over the use of fake documents, Mr Bashir has yet to comment on the revelations of last year or the now ended police inquiry.
The journalist has been off work on sick leave for months after suffering serious coronavirus complications and major heart surgery.