London - The coroner heading the inquest into the deaths of the late Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed Monday changed his original instruction to the jury, saying he would accept a majority verdict instead of the unanimous decision he had demanded earlier.

The change announced Monday by Thomas Scott Baker, the judge who headed the inquest over the last six months, indicated that the 11-member jury had encountered difficulties in coming to an unanimous decision.

The jury of six men and five women have been deliberating for four days after Scott Baker summed up the case last week.

Scott Baker told them Monday that a verdict on which at least nine of them agreed would be acceptable.

The panel must decide whether the Paris car crash in which Diana and Dodi died on August 31, 1997, was an accident, unlawful killing by any of the drivers involved, or unexplained. (dpa)