When the black Mercedes was examined by French forensic scientists, they found scrapings on the right rear wing of the white paint from the Fiat Uno it struck moments before it crashed.

Analysis subsequently showed that it was most compatible with the Bianco Corfu 224 paint scheme used by Fiat on its Unos between 1983 and September 1987.

This immediately excluded French paparazzi James Andanson, whom Mohamed Al Fayed named as an assassin, because his nine-year-old vehicle was first registered in 1988, a year after Fiat stopped using Bianco Corfu 224.

The Paris Criminal Brigade, however, continued to investigate Andanson - and the Operation Paget report has also pointed out that the Bianco 210 paint on his car was almost indistinguishable from Bianco Corfu 224.

However, inquiries about Andanson ended when it was established that his Fiat Uno was off the road at the time - resting on bricks at his home 170 miles away from Paris.

The father of a man who was driving a white Fiat Uno in Paris the night Princess Diana was killed has sensationally admitted his son had the car painted red just hours after the fatal crash and revealed his suspicions that his son was involved.

Le Van Thanh was questioned by French detectives in 1997 after forensic experts established the white paint on his car matched that found on the wreckage of the Mercedes Diana was travelling in.

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Le Van also told French investigators that he could not have been at the Alma Tunnel at the time of the crash because he was working as a security guard at a Renault factory in Gennevilliers, just outside Paris, between 7pm and 7am.

But although he gave police the address of the car plant, his family say neither the French nor British police spoke to colleagues to verify his alibi.

The crash also occurred almost half- way through his shift - when he would have been entitled to a break, with his father's home just a short ride away.

Tellingly, he also admitted to detectives that he had his muzzled rottweiler in the rear of his car - eyewitnesses to the devastation in the tunnel described the Fiat Uno as having a large dog wearing a muzzle or bandana in the back.