Killer Levi Bellfield denies that he confessed to murdering 13-year-old Milly Dowler

The 47-year-old, who worked as a clamper in Chichester and across the south, is serving a whole-life sentence after being convicted in 2011 of murdering the teenager.

Despite reports this week that he had confessed to the crime, he is now understood to have claimed that he never admitted killing her.

Bellfield’s solicitor Julie Cooper has contacted Surrey Police to suggest that ‘covert’ recordings were made during a prison interview and has demanded access to the tape recording and notes from the meeting, the Daily Telegraph said.

But Colin Sutton, the former Scotland Yard detective whose investigation into the murders of three other young women put Bellfield – now known as Yusuf Rahim – in prison, said the killer’s claims were ‘breathtaking’.

He said: ‘I am almost lost for words on this. He has been toying around with the police and also the victims’ families, particularly the Dowlers. It is even beyond the cruel, wicked games that I know he was capable of. This is almost beyond what I thought even he was capable of.’

According to the Telegraph Ms Cooper wrote: ‘We request the tape recording of the alleged confession; the attendance notes relating to the alleged confession; the circumstances surrounding the alleged confession and we would be grateful if you would confirm or deny whether a covert tape was being used during the course of the interview with Mr Rahim and we look forward to your early response.’

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way from school to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002. Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing her following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Earlier this week her family released a statement in which they outlined the harrowing details of Milly’s last hours and what Bellfield admitted doing to her.

The serial killer told Surrey Police how he repeatedly raped and tortured her in the 14 hours between her abduction and murder.