Burrell faces perjury probe after refusing to return to Diana inquest, saying he was 'showing off' and drunk in video

The former royal butler had been recalled to the hearing to explain himself after being secretly filmed boasting that he did not tell the "whole truth" in January.

But yesterday the coroner announced that Burrell had defied his request and would not travel back from the U.S. to face a second grilling by barristers.

Lord Justice Scott Baker explained: "Mr Burrell is abroad and I have no power to compel a witness to attend to give evidence. He says that he is not going to be in the United Kingdom in the near future."

Instead, a statement from the 49-year-old was read to the hearing in which he claimed that when the video was shot he had been drunkenly "showing off" to impress a male friend, and that he had not lied under oath.

Today Scotland Yard ruled out launching a perjury investigation until after the inquest.

A spokesman said today: "Any action the Metropolitan Police Service would take around allegations of perjury would not be dealt with until conclusion of the inquests.

"Any decision taken would be in consultation with the Coroner after the jury have reached their verdict."

The coroner's office said no complaint would be made to the police about Burrell's alleged admission that he lied while the inquest is continuing, to avoid prejudicing the jury.

But a spokesman declined to comment on what might happen when the hearing concludes in April.

He added: "Any member of the public can make a complaint to the police

"It would then be up to the police to investigate if they want to."

The maximum sentence for perjury is ten years.

Burrell was closely questioned for three days by barristers at the High Court hearing in January, an experience he described as "horrid".

The following month he was secretly recorded in a New York hotel by TV producer Paul Khullar at the request of the Sun newspaper.

Yesterday, a transcript of the video was read to the jury in which Burrell admitted that he had "f***** his integrity".

He added: "Perjury is not a nice thing to have to contemplate.

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"I was very naughty and I made a couple of red herrings, and I couldn't help doing it. I know you shouldn't play with justice and I know it's illegal and I realise how serious it is."

He claimed Diana remained with him "spiritually" and added that Mohamed Al Fayed was "dying" and the inquest was his "last shot".

In his statement, Burrell said he made the comments after drinking several cocktails, a glass of whisky and more than half a bottle of champagne.

He also shared three bottles of wine with friends.

He said: "I was tired and depressed and had been drinking all evening. I was showing off. I am not proud of this. I was trying to impress him. The comments which I made to him were not correct.

"At no time did I mislead the inquest to say anything that was not the truth."

He added: "I have already provided to the inquest all the evidence I have that might possibly assist its purpose.

"I shall be living and working outside the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future."

Sources close to Burrell said he had felt "violated" by his experience in the witness box.

During his appearance he initially refused to reveal a mysterious "secret" to which Diana referred in a letter she left for him shortly before her death in 1997.

But pressed by Lord Justice Scott Baker he claimed it had been about a move abroad - something the coroner said was not a secret at all.

Burrell, who lives primarily in Florida, was also sent on a near 400-mile round trip to his UK home in Farndon, Cheshire, to retrieve a letter which referred to the "secret", only to return saying it was not there.

A close associate of the former butler said: "Rightly or wrongly, Paul felt he was given an unduly hard time - he felt almost violated.

"He was taken to task by the lawyers to such an extent that he felt he was actually being put on trial. It was not a pleasant experience and one that he isn't keen to repeat.

"As far as he is concerned, the Sun story was entrapment. He doesn't feel it should be given any credence or be allowed to derail the inquest in any way."