Kate Middleton 'being hounded by paparazzi like Di was in her last days'

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Kate Middleton, Prince William's girlfriend, is being pestered by the paparazzi in the same way as Princess Diana was in her final days, according to the coroner who investigated the death of the people's princess.

During his six-month investigation into the deaths of the Princess of Wales and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, Lord Justice Scott Baker, the assistant deputy coroner of inner West London, heard from 240 witnesses.

The pair died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997 as they tried to flee the paparazzi.

Currently, the temporary break in Prince William's relationship with Middleton has been blamed upon the paparazzi's relentless attention.

The spokespeople for Wills have publicly accused the paparazzi of "aggressively" pursuing the couple, and Middleton separately.

The prince and Middleton have since reconciled, and media attention is as fierce as ever amid speculation of a royal engagement. Lord Baker told the Asia-Pacific Coroners' Society conference in Adelaide today that the role of the paparazzi was one of the many aspects he had to take into account during his inquiry.

He said issues surrounding the paparazzi remained serious for the royal family.

"You only have to look at the papers today to see the paparazzi are hounding Kate Middleton in the same way Diana was previously being hounded," News.com.au quoted him, as saying.

ANI