DJ reckons LPs could well be Diana's; Gambaccini says albums reflect princess' taste.

Byline: By ROLAND HUGHES

VETERAN DJ Paul Gambaccini last night joined the debate over a record collection said to belong to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

A mystery man from Flint said he paid pounds 6 for the 26 albums at a car boot sale.

All were signed "Diana", and the handwriting bore a remarkable resemblance to that of the late princess.

The record collector hopes the albums will fetch more than pounds 13,000 when they are auctioned on eBay later this month.

The collection includes music by Bob Dylan, The Eagles and John Denver.

Radio 2 DJ Gambaccini was hired to catalogue Diana's record collection after her death in 1997.

He was later called as a witness in the trial of former royal butler and Holt florist Paul Burrell, who was charged with stealing Diana's belongings.

Last night, Gambaccini, who presents America's Greatest Hits, said: "There is no way I can really know whether the albums belonged to Diana.

"Only her family and perhaps closest friends can tell"However, every one of the albums would have fit snugly into the collection I saw at St James' Palace.

"Only a couple of the albums in the collection I saw were signed - and these were heavily-used LPs.

"I was informed at St James's Palace that it had been the custom of the Spencer siblings to sign their first names on their records to make clear which record belonged to which child.

"It is also true that the signature on these discs is quite similar to that on a letter Diana wrote to me."

Gambaccini, who co-wrote the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, added: "Barring extraordinary but always possible coincidence, they are not the innocent signatures of someone else named Diana.

"If they are forged, the buyer has a problem. If they are genuine, someone else has a problem."

An eBay spokesman said would-be buyers should carry out extensive checks before entering into a deal. He said: "The best advice we can give is for you to be satisfied you have plenty of proof these are in fact Diana's before paying out."

The LPs were all bought by the collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, at a car boot sale in Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, in May 2004.

They go on show at the Offa's Tavern pub in Prestatyn High Street today between 10am and 4pm Radio 2 DJ Gambaccini was hired to catalogue Diana's record collection after her death in 1997