BBC TV presenter Ray Gosling has revealed that he has told police the identity of the former lover that he smothered to death, in order to end his suffering from Aids.

As previously reported, the campaigner and journalist admitted to the mercy killing in a TV programme broadcast earlier this month. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and spent more than thirty hours in custody.

Reports following Gosling's release from prison suggested that he had not in fact revealed the identity of the man, but the 70 year old has made it clear to the Nottingham Evening Post that it was not something he was able to keep to himself under questioning. "If I'd not told them who it was, I'd still be locked up now," he said. He hasn't, however, revealed the man's name to the press.

In the same interview, Gosling expressed his surprise at the level of publicity his confession has generated. "I don't regret saying what I did on the television", he is quoted as saying. "The BBC didn't use me. They let me decide what I wanted to say. They told me the risks of doing it".