THE Abingdon man at the centre of the so-called 'Dianagate' tape scandal, retired bank manager Cyril Reenan, has died aged 82.

Mr Reenan, of Park Road, was thrown into the media spotlight when he revealed that he had recorded a telephone conversation in January 1990 between Princess Diana and her friend James Gilbey using a £900 radio scanner.

A year later he sold the tape to a national tabloid newspaper. He expected £50,000 but received only £1,000. The event sparked off intense media attention for several weeks.

Reporters, radio and television crews camped outside his large semi-detached Victorian house in tree-lined Park Road, a quiet suburb of Abingdon not far from Abingdon School.

Mr Reenan later admitted to the Oxford Mail that he "bitterly regretted" making the tape. He added: "It was the biggest mistake of my life. To all those who have felt upset and disturbed by my stupid actions may I say I am sorry." Mr Reenan, who worked with the then TSB bank in Abingdon, said he wanted to pick up racing tips by eavesdropping on conversations between people in the racing world. He claimed he had stumbled across the chat between the Princess of Wales and her friend by chance.

A second amateur radio enthusiast, Jane Norgrove, of Hurst Street, Oxford, claimed that she had also made a tape of the same conversation.

Mr Reenan died in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He is survived by his wife Phyllis and son John. Mrs Reenan did not want to talk about the incident 14 years ago.

She said: "It was a nightmare at the time and all the family paid a heavy price.

"It was a long time ago. It is all over and I do not wish to talk about it."

The funeral will be at the Abingdon Cemetery chapel on Wednesday at 11am. Donations should be made to the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary.