Dominy and his wife Margaret are still renting the east Belfast flat where they were last spotted by neighbours about two months ago.

The couple told local residents they had a home in France but that they also stayed in Northern Ireland so that Margaret could have "medical check-ups".

The Belfast Telegraph has seen recently posted mail addressed to Dominy at the Beersbridge Road property under his real name and the false name he adopted.

Some of the mail was official correspondence from a bank and one to his wife was from an address in France.

Mr Dominy (71) was tracked down to the south of France, despite supposedly committing suicide by jumping from the Rosslare to Fishguard ferry in 1993.

It is understood he went into hiding for several months in a disused caravan park in Coleraine before reconciling with his wife and adopting a false identity. The couple moved to Belfast where they lived for several years before relocating on a semi-permanent basis to France.

It is alleged that Mr Dominy is now in receipt of three UK pensions and travels to his one-bedroom flat in Belfast from the French town of Bagnac sur Cele, about two hours from Toulouse, every two months.

His Belfast neighbours last night said they were shocked when they heard the reports.

One said: "I think he was last here about two months ago. He told us he and the wife had a place in France but that they also stayed here so she could have medical check-ups. His daughter was about quite a bit as well."

Mr Dominy moved to Ireland in the late 1980s and established a printing business in Kilkenny but it his understood his business went into liquidation and he disappeared owing €250,000 to his creditors.