The British bodyguard, Mr Trevor Rees-Jones, who survived the car crash in which Diana, Princess of Wales, Mr Dodi Fayed and their driver, Mr Henri Paul, were killed, has launched a civil suit in Paris seeking damages for his injuries, writes Rachel Donnelly in London.Mr Rees-Jones, who returned to Britain last month after spending several weeks in a Paris hospital, is seeking a percentage of any damages awarded as a result of the criminal investigation into the crash in August.
The decision was described in Paris yesterday as "normal procedure". It is understood that as a result of the civil suit Mr Rees-Jones can no longer be interviewed by the investigation team, except in the presence of his lawyer. The investigation team will travel to Britain to question Mr Rees-Jones later this year about the movements of the princess's car and the paparazzi before the crash in the hope that his memory of the events will return.
But, while the French authorities may be hopeful that Mr Rees-Jones will shed much-needed light on the last moments of the crash, his doctors in France have warned that despite the remarkable recovery from his injuries he may never remember the details. The princess's family has already lodged a civil suit in France.