RUTH Padel, the woman who resigned as Oxford University’s Professor of Poetry, today apologised to her controversial rival for the post, but denied intentionally trying to smear him.

Prof Padel would have been the first woman to hold the 301-year-old position but had to stand down on Monday after it emerged she had emailed two journalists about allegations of sexual harassment made against her rival Derek Walcott.

Mr Walcott, 79, had been the hot favourite for the elected post, but withdrew.

Prof Padel, a great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, won the election but faced mounting calls to step down over the weekend.

Speaking at the Hay Festival of Literature in Wales, Prof Padel said she played no part in a campaign against Mr Walcott but admitted emailing journalists with information she claimed was already in the public domain.

Prof Padel, who was due to succeed Christopher Ricks on October 1, said she had acted out of concern for female students at Oxford who had brought the allegations to her attention.

She said: “I have acted throughout in complete good faith, but I can, of course, see that people can misconstrue that.”

She added: “I do want to apologise to him, but I cannot apologise for things I have not done and I have not done the campaign.

“I apologise for anything I have done that can be misconstrued as having been against him.”

Prof Padel admitted she should have contacted the university directly with her concern.

She said she decided to stand down from the post after learning opinion in Oxford was bitterly divided.

The prestigious post has been held by the likes of Matthew Arnold, WH Auden and Seamus Heaney since it was created in 1708.

After a very public battle, Prof Padel secured the position with 297 votes cast by Oxford graduates and academic staff.

Her fellow nominee, Indian poet Arvind Mehrotra, received 129 votes.

Prof Padel said: “I hope things can move on now and that wounds can heal. And I hope the next Oxford Professor of Poetry is a woman.”

Fellow poet Michael Horowitz criticised Prof Padel and said it was unfortunate poets were “dragged into the mire” of media manipulation.

He said: “Now that there are many, many more poets, there is a lot more competition for ever-dwindling prizes, so it is a shame that some of us get infected and drawn away from what we do well.”

An Oxford University spokesman said: “We respect the decision that Ruth Padel has taken. This has been a difficult chapter for all concerned and a period of reflection may now be in order.”

She added the schedule of a new election was yet to be finalised.

Mr Walcott withdrew after anonymous letters were sent to more than 100 Oxford professors reportedly detailing an allegation of sexual harassment made against him by a former student in 1982.

The broadcaster and Labour peer Lord Melvyn Bragg had called for Prof Padel’s resignation, after initially supporting her.

He said: “Even her mentioning Walcott’s past in advance of the election was disgraceful.”

Mr Walcott is working in America and was unavailable for comment.