Martin Bashir ‘liaised with Princess Diana in scary car parks’

Princess Diana plotted with Martin Bashir in ‘scary underground car parks’ before their explosive BBC interview, it was claimed yesterday.

The pair allegedly held secret meetings in dimly-lit corners of central London garages to arrange the Panorama tell-all, the Mail can reveal.

It added to the sense of ‘drama and danger’ Bashir was conjuring around the vulnerable princess, said a source.

The BBC journalist is accused of playing to her paranoia by warning that the security services, her husband Prince Charles and her loyal courtiers were all spying on her.

After two weeks of damaging revelations, Tim Davie, the new BBC director-general, has pledged a ‘robust and independent’ investigation into the bizarre and underhand tactics of Bashir, who is said to have fed Diana 32 incredible smears about the royals and their staff.

Bashir scooped the world with his 1995 interview at Kensington Palace. But as the 25th anniversary approaches, it is claimed Bashir – now the BBC’s religious affairs editor – obtained his exclusive by spinning a web of devastating lies.

Yesterday the Mail’s source, who was close to the princess, said: ‘They met several times before the interview was filmed at Kensington Palace.

‘The meetings were always in dark corners of underground car parks – really scary places.

‘It was like a bad movie, not the sort of places you would expect the Princess of Wales to be meeting people.’

The extraordinary assignations echo the meetings between Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward and the source known as Deep Throat who spilled the Watergate Scandal secrets in a car park.

The Mail’s Diana source said: ‘It was all part of the process of psychologically softening her up. He had told her everyone was spying on her, from Charles and MI5 down to her loyal staff and even her driver.

‘It might have been tricky for them to meet in public, but presumably they could have met safely at Bashir’s house, as no one would find out, if she had arrived discreetly. Instead, they had these scary meetings in underground car parks, as if he might have told her it was the only safe way, if perhaps he said his house might be bugged.’

The Mail understands the BBC is on the brink of announcing a ‘legally impressive’ figure to chair the inquiry – suggesting a retired judge or QC.

A source said yesterday: ‘They have someone in mind. It is a heavyweight figure who is legally very impressive.’ A second source said: ‘It is a bigwig from the legal world.’

It is also understood the corporation is committed to publishing whatever findings the new inquiry makes.

Yesterday it was reported the BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell is likely to provide evidence to the inquiry.

According to the Daily Telegraph, a number of experienced staff are ‘deeply disturbed’ by the claims about Bashir’s behaviour.

Mr Witchell, a reporter on Panorama in the early 1990s, was said to have been left angry when he heard about the claims of false bank statements allegedly used by Bashir to gain access to Diana.

He is said to have been shocked when the BBC rehired Bashir in 2016 as religious affairs correspondent.

The BBC has said that Bashir’s faked documents did not influence the Princess’ decision to agree to the interview.