Bailey says he has written sympathy letter

English journalist Ian Bailey, who was twice arrested and questioned about the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has sought to assure the Frenchwoman's parents that he had nothing to do with her death.

Mr Bailey (49) confirmed to The Irish Timeslast night that he had written to an official in the French embassy asking him to convey his sympathy to the Bouniols and expressing the hope that they now accepted that he had nothing to do with their daughter's death.

Details of the letter were carried by TV3 last night, which said the letter was sent by Mr Bailey on December 5th, and that it was sent to an official at the French embassy by registered post.

However, the French consul in Cork, Francoise Letellier, who has been liaising closely with the Bouniols since their arrival on Saturday, said that neither she nor they had any knowledge of the letter but she would check with the embassy today if they received it.

Mr Bailey was first arrested by gardaí in February 1997 and again in January 1998, but was released without charge on both occasions. He has continued to protest his innocence of any involvement in Ms du Plantier's murder.

A key witness, Marie Farrell, told gardaí in January 1997 that she saw Mr Bailey at Kealfadda Bridge, some 1.6 miles (2.57km)from Ms du Plantier's dormer cottage at Toormore on the night that she was murdered.

But in October 2005, Ms Farrell said she had been pressurised by gardaí into making that statement and she withdrew it, saying it was false and inaccurate and that she never saw Mr Bailey at Kealfadda Bridge that night.