Warnings from the Attorney-General have persuaded the makers of a TV programme "Diana - the Secrets Behind the Crash" to drop a former MI5 officer from a studio debate.

David Shayler: intended to take part in a studio debate

British newspapers reported that the Granada documentary alleges the princess was murdered, but the producers have denied this.

They say they have unearthed new evidence that contradicts claims the crash which killed Diana, her friend Dodi Al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul was a straightforward accident.

MI5 officer David Shayler was to have taken part in an hour-long debate to run after the show.

He was intended to provide a viewpoint on the role of the security services in the protection of dignitaries.

The Treasury Solicitor's Office, acting for the Attorney-General, stepped in to warn that the broadcasters could breach an injunction against Mr Shayler.

The injunction served last September prevents the former intelligence officer from disclosing any information he gained while working for the security services.

This followed allegations made by Mr Shayler about British intelligence in the 1960s and 1970s, published in a Sunday newspaper.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney-General said his appearance on the programme could lead to contempt of court proceedings if he breached the terms of the injunction while on air.

Hewitt: claimed he was warned to keep away from Diana

Diana's former lover James Hewitt appeared on the programme and claimed he was told by members of the Royal Family that it would be dangerous for him to continue seeing the princess.

A second programme on Diana's death follows on Thursday night. The Dispatches series on Channel 4 Television promises new witnesses who have never been interviewed.

But it plans to demystify the events of August 31 and attribute Diana and Dodi's death to "Mickey Mouse" security by employees of Dodi's millionaire father and Harrods department store owner Mohammed Al Fayed.

Buckingham Palace and the Prime Minister Tony Blair have already condemned the conspiracy theories, which have reached fever pitch on the Internet with an estimated 36,000 Diana conspiracy sites on the Web.

'Iron out inconsistencies'

All witnesses to what has come to be known as the world's most famous car accident will appear in a Paris court before the examinating magistrate on Friday, June 5.

In what is known in French law as a confrontation, Judge Herve Stephan will ask about 20 witnesses - including photographers who were at the scene - and their lawyers to iron out any inconsistencies in their testimonies.

News of Diana's death in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31 last year shocked the world. Dodi Al Fayed's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was the only survivor.

The driver, Henri Paul, was found to have been driving at high speed under the influence of criminal levels of alcohol.