Diana's former butler refuses to return to inquiry

The former butler of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has refused to return to an inquiry into her death to explain comments he made in a tape leaked by a British newspaper, said the coroner in charge of the probe.

Lord Justice Scott Baker issued a statement Thursday saying he had asked Paul Burrell to return to explain "alleged inconsistencies" between his earlier testimony and a videotape posted on the Sun's website.

In the tape, Burrell says he was "very naughty" and "threw in a couple of red herrings" during his appearance at the inquest earlier this year.

The video was reportedly filmed in a New York hotel room, but it's not clear when it occurred.

Burrell also suggests he withheld information from the inquiry, which is looking into the deaths of Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed in a car crash in a Paris tunnel on Aug. 31, 1997.

"I told the truth as far as I could but I didn't tell the whole truth," he says.

Lord Justice Baker said Thursday he cannot compel Burrell, who lives in Florida, to give further testimony.

"The coroner asked him to give further evidence either in person or via videolink from abroad. Mr. Burrell has refused to do this and, as he is outside the court jurisdiction, the coroner has no power to compel him to give evidence," said a statement from Baker.

Any further information offered by Burrell will be read to the jury, said the statement.

Earlier this year, Burrell told the inquiry Diana wasn't planning to announce an engagement to Fayed, who he characterized as a "30-day relationship" for the late princess.

Burrell said at the time of her death, Diana was still getting over a two-year affair with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan.

Burrell has been a controversial figure in the years following Diana's death. He was acquitted of stealing items from Diana's estate in 2002 and has sold interviews to tabloids and British television. He has also written two books about his relationship with her.

In the video shown by the Sun, Burrell says he will "never" write another book about Diana.

The inquest, which started in October, is expected to last about six months.