Woodwards cash in

Gary and Sue Woodward sold story to newspaper

The Daily Mail has confirmed it paid for an interview with the parents of the former au pair, Louise Woodward.

Sue and Gary Woodward, whose daughter was convicted of the manslaughter of a baby in her care in Boston, Massachusetts, gave the interview to the newspaper last year.

The paper said it supported the Press Complaints Commission code that there should be no payments to convicted people.

At a press conference on her return to Britain on Thursday, Woodward denied reports she had sold her story.

But a report in the Boston Herald now claims the Woodwards received £40,000 for "exclusive access" in November, before a judge reduced their daughter's conviction from murder to manslaughter and set her free.

The Daily Mail has not given any details of the alleged contract.

The paper said in a statement: "Louise Woodward's conviction for murder provoked a huge groundswell of public opinion and concern in Britain.

"Sue and Gary Woodward considered it necessary to receive payment in order to help fund their legal battle."

The Daily Mail bought the story in November

It added that no further payments had or would be paid to the Woodward family.

Woodward has continually denied making any deals and said her one interview would be with the BBC with no payment.

She will be interviewed for a BBC Panorama special by Martin Bashir, the reporter who questioned Princess Diana for the programme.

The 20-year-old former nanny returned home to Elton after the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts ruled that her conviction and sentence for the involuntary manslaughter of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen should stand.

A judge in a Boston court has temporarily banned Woodward from spending any profits from selling her story.

US District Judge William Young issued the order as Louise began her journey home to England.

The order, which lasts for 10 days and can be extended, was made at the first hearing of a civil suit brought by Matthew Eappen's parents Sunil and Debbie.

Louise Woodward at the press conference where she denied selling her story

They are claiming more than £45,400 in damages for the death of their son as well as seeking to prevent their former au pair profiting from selling her story.

The judge has set a date of October 5 for the full hearing, and said the Eappens had a "strong case and a reasonable likelihood of success" in winning damages.

The order also requires Woodward to tell the court and the Eappen family about any contracts she makes to sell her story.

The Rev Ken Davey, chairman of the appeal fund set up in Woodward's name, told BBC's Newsnight he knew nothing about the payment.