Lord Mandelson called the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein his "best pal", according to a letter in an alleged "birthday book" that has been released by US lawmakers.
In the message for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003, Lord Mandelson - UK ambassador to the US since last year - describes him as an "intelligent, sharp-witted man", who "parachuted" into his life.
The existence of the letter from Lord Mandelson was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in July, when the newspaper published details of the alleged birthday note.
An official spokesperson for Lord Mandelson told the BBC: "Lord Mandelson has long been clear that he very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein."
Democrats in Congress released copies of the so-called "birthday book" after the documents were subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee last month.
