Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi today publicly denied ever paying women for sex, as he continues to struggle with a growing scandal over his links to young models and starlets.

Mr Berlusconi gave his first direct response to the claims in an interview with gossip magazine Chi. Previously, he had simply dismissed as "garbage" and a smear campaign reports that an acquaintance of his had paid at least three women to attend parties at his residences.

"I have never paid a woman," Mr Berlusconi said in the article. "I never understood what the satisfaction is when you are missing the pleasure of conquest."

Mr Berlusconi said that Patrizia D'Addario, the model at the centre of the claims, was "very well paid" to make the allegations, which have prompted an investigation in the southern city of Bari into the local businessman accused of recruiting and paying the women.

Ms D'Addario denied she had been paid to mount a scandal.

Mr Berlusconi has been on the defensive ever since his wife announced several weeks ago she was divorcing him, citing his selection of young starlets and showgirls for European Parliament elections and his presence at the birthday party of an 18-year-old model in Naples.

Mr Berlusconi has insisted there was nothing scandalous in his relationship with Noemi Letizia, whom he has said was the daughter of an old friend from political circles. He said he went to the party because he happened to be in Naples that day.

In the interview with Chi, Mr Berlusconi was quoted as saying that he was "sad, but serene," over the end of his relationship with his wife, Veronica Lario.

"It was a very painful wound. I don't know if time will be able to cure it," he was quoted as saying in the interview provided in advance by Chi.

As the Letizia scandal began to abate, D'Addario told Italian media she was paid around £900 to attend a party at Mr Berlusconi's Rome home.

This was followed by similar claims by two other women and reports that Ms D'Addario had given over to Bari prosecutors audio and video tapes proving the allegations.

Giampaolo Tarantini, the man accused in the Bari probe of favouring prostitution, has said he merely reimbursed the women for their travel and expenses. He said Mr Berlusconi did not know the expenses were paid.

Despite the scandals and criticism in local and international media, Mr Berlusconi has kept his popularity intact, with his centre-right forces emerging victorious from EU elections earlier this month and a spate of local and provincial runoffs.

According to results yesterday Mr Berlusconi's Freedom People's party snatched a half-dozen provinces from the centre-left in voting on Sunday and Monday, including the important provinces of Milan and Venice.