A SCULPTOR has told how it felt to be working in a national newsroom the day that the news of Diana’s death swept the world.

On August 31, 1997, Vin Harrop, who was working as a BBC executive at the time, received an early phone call from Mark Damazer, head of current affairs, to come into work.

The news outlet had found out that the Princess of Wales had been involved in a serious car crash in Paris and Mr Harrop was needed to help schedule content throughout the day.

Mr Harrop, who is the co-founder of Basildon’s Eastgate Art Gallery, said; “Mr Damazer asked would I come in to help with rescheduling programmes. I headed immediately for White City.

“On arrival I found that a decision had already been taken to cancel all programmes for the day, probable by the MD, Bill Cotton, and that the most important thing to begin with was to contact as many reporters, correspondents and presenters to help us to present continuing news on Diana.”

Unfortunately by the time Mr Harrop had reached the studios, Diana had been pronounced dead.

He added: “We now had a royal death on our hands.

“The news had already reached the outside world and wreaths and messages of condolence had already started to collect outside Buckingham Palace by the time as we formally announced on BBC news that the Princess had died this morning in a fatal car accident along with Dodi Fayed.”

Mr Harrop recalls piecing together her association with the Egyptian billionaire and how the fatal accident could have occurred.

Speaking in the lead up to the 20th anniversary of her death, Mr Harrop said: “Exciting times in television these proved to be, with proof too that Diana was indeed the ‘Queen of People’s Hearts’ and now 20 years on that memory of her remains undiminished.

“She undoubtedly set the haute couture fashion of the day, from her short hairstyle in the early nineties to her front-cover picture on British Vogue magazine in December 1991, to her love of the popular music culture.

“She was indeed an iconic figure for the young people of the day, and she has continued to gain in iconic status following her death, which accounts for continuing allure in her life 20 years on.”

Mr Harrop was also at the BBC at the time that Diana recorded her renowned bombshell interview, in which she spoke about Charles’ affair with Camilla.

He said: “As a BBC executive at the time and involved in the news division, I was one of only seven BBC staff who knew of Martin Bashir’s carefully constructed interview with Diana recorded at Kensington Palace on November 5, 1995, which eventually transmitted under the Panorama banner, edited by Steve Hewlett. At the time, it was the biggest televisual story I had ever known, which was watched by a record 22.8 million people. The interview therefore offered few surprises for the Princess since they were discussed with her beforehand, and she made only one stipulation that she herself would tell the Queen what she had done.”

The Echo’s interview with Mr Harrop is part of a four-week special lading up to the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.