A man whose wife died in a mysterious cliff fall was having an affair with a work colleague, an inquest was told today.

Paul Ramsden, 38, told police he declared his love for wife Paula minutes before she fell 500ft to her death from Beachy Head while they were out walking.

But the inquest in Eastbourne heard from Elizabeth Harrison that she and Mr Ramsden had started an affair two months before Paula died, and that they had slept together afterwards.

Ms Harrison, 30, denied knowing exactly what had happened to Paula, who was scared of heights, at Beachy Head.

The inquest also heard that Mr Ramsden, an operations superintendent for Shell at Gatwick, also bombarded another work colleague, Michelle Foster, with hundreds of e-mails telling her he loved her.

Mr Ramsden, of Crawley Down, claimed his wife Paula, 32 - who had a daughter with him and a son by a previous relationship - accidentally slipped from the cliff edge in January 9, 2000, as he went to kiss her.

He was later arrested on suspicion of murder but released without charge.

Ms Foster, a budget controller for Shell, said in a statement that she told Mr Ramsden they should only have a working relationship.

She said: "We never had a sexual relationship, nor did I want one."

Weeks later, Mr Ramsden became friends with Ms Harrison, 30, of Horsham, who worked in a neighbouring office.

The pair went out for drinks before meeting for the night at a bed and breakfast in the New Forest on December 4, 1999.

When asked by East Sussex coroner Alan Craze if the relationship was intimate, Ms Harrison said it was not.

But she admitted to having an affair with Mr Ramsden. Mr Craze said: "By now this was a serious affair." She replied: "Yes".

Shortly after Paula's death, Ms Harrison met Mr Ramsden and the pair went for a drink.

Ms Harrison said he did not want to discuss with her what had happened to Paula but said she and Mr Ramsden had sex in the weeks that followed.

Mr Craze said: "You were his mistress yet he did not discuss with you what happened at Beachy Head?"

Ms Harrison said: "Not really. He said they went up there walking and said he looked around and that she was not there."

Mr Craze said: "Did he give you any indication that something might happen to his wife before she died or what did happen?"

She replied: "Absolutely not."

The police asked Mr Ramsden if Paula could have committed suicide. He replied: "No chance. We were so in love. We had sat on the beach at Birling Gap and I had told her I loved her and she had written 'I love you' in the sand."

The inquest heard PCAlan Tyrell was suspicious, however.

He said in a statement: "His behaviour struck me as odd. He was upset but was not crying. He was giving lucid answers to my questions but would then say, 'No, not my Paula'."

The hearing continues