The first female Oxford Professor of Poetry resigned on Monday following her involvement in an alleged smear campaign against St Lucian poet Derek Walcott.

Ruth Padel, a great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, insisted she had "acted in good faith" and had done "nothing intentional" to lead her rival Walcott to withdraw from the election.

Oxford University sources said a new election would now be held.

Padel, the first woman to fill the position, had been under intense pressure to stand down after she alerted the media to sexual harassment allegations against Walcott, 79.

Walcott, a Nobel laureate who had been the leading candidate for the job, withdrew from the race following an anonymous-letter campaign against him.

But on Monday night she announced her resignation, admitting that she had been naive in passing information on to journalists, which led to Walcott's decision not to stand.

It is believed to be the first time in the post's 300-year history that an elected candidate has resigned.

Smear campaign

Padel

Professor Padel, 63, said in a statement: "I genuinely believe that I did nothing intentional that led to Derek Walcott's withdrawal from the election.

"I wish he had not pulled out.

"I did not engage in a smear campaign against him, but, as a result of student concern, I naively - and with hindsight unwisely - passed on to two journalists, whom I believed to be covering the whole election responsibly, information that was already in the public domain."

She went on: "I acted in complete good faith, and would have been happy to lose to Derek, but I can see that people might interpret my actions otherwise.

"I wish to do what is best for the university and I understand that opinion there is divided.

"I, therefore, resign from the Chair of Poetry. I hope wounds will now heal and I wish the next professor all the best."

An Oxford University spokeswoman 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."

- www.telegraph.co.uk