Diana may sue over calls claim

PRINCESS Diana is considering legal action over claims that she made up to 300 nuisance calls to millionaire art dealer Oliver Hoare.

But her lawyer Lord Mishcon, who she consulted on Monday night, has urged her not to, it was understood yesterday.

MPs and senior police yesterday called for an inquiry into how details of a police investigation into nuisance calls made from her private lines and mobile phone to Mr Hoare, a married friend of the princess, were leaked to the press.

The princess has denied making the calls, claiming her diary shows she could not have done so. But yesterday several royal writers suggested she could have made the calls and the tabloid Sun newspaper even suggested she should see a psychiatrist.

The tabloid Daily Mail, to which the princess gave an unprecedented interview on Sunday said: ''The princess was in the habit of ringing Mr Hoare.

''It is possible she would have replaced the receiver if his wife answered - perhaps unwittingly triggering the family's fears that they were receiving nuisance calls.'' The episode has developed two sides - did Diana make the calls, and if she did, who leaked the news to the media and what were his or her motives? Britain's top police official, London police commissioner Sir Paul Condon, plunged into the row, giving a blow-by-blow account of how detectives investigated a mystery caller.