Woman who tried to sell Diana letters held at Waterloo

THE WOMAN at the centre of the controversy over attempts to sell to a newspaper love letters from Diana, Princess of Wales to James Hewitt, was yesterday arrested by Scotland Yard officers.

Italian born Anna Ferretti, 39, a former fiancee of Mr Hewitt, was taken away by detectives for questioning as she was about to board a train to France from Waterloo International station in London. She will be interviewed over the alleged theft of the letters which were offered to the Mirror newspaper.

Kensington Palace refused to comment on Ms Ferretti's arrest. However, the developments are being monitored by lawyers for the Princess's executors. There is the likelihood of a legal dispute over the ownership of the letters. The copyright belongs to Diana's estate, but Mr Hewitt is expected to stress that they were sent to him, and are thus his property.

The bundle of 62 letters had been stored for four years at former Army officer Mr Hewitt's home in Devon before they disappeared while he was on a trip to Spain. In one of them, sent while Mr Hewitt was serving in the Gulf War, the Princess had asked her then lover to destroy them, saying: "Please can you burn my letters after reading them in case they get into the wrong hands - please".

Ms Ferretti, according to newspaper reports, had expressed regrets over her alleged attempts to cash in on the letters. She is quoted as saying: "People may see what I did was wrong. I now see how stupid I have been, but I am also very relieved they are back with the rightful owners. They were beautiful letters written by a caring woman who was deeply in love. Now she is gone, it is only right these mementos should be with her sons".

The letters are now in safe-keeping at Kensington Palace after being handed over by the Mirror pending possible legal action. Ms Ferretti is said to have claimed that Mr Hewitt himself wanted to make money from the love letters in the future, but this has been vehemently denied by him.

Scotland Yard said it had begun investigations after a complaint by Mr Hewitt.