A highly damaging video has emerged of French Presidential candidate Francois Fillon's British wife Penelope admitting, in 2007: 'I have never actually been his assistant or anything like that.'

Mr Fillon was considered the front-runner to become President this spring but his candidacy has become mired in scandal amid allegations his wife and children had been paid large salaries by French taxpayers despite little evidence of any work.

He faces a strong challenge from the Far-Right Marine Le Pen and increasingly from the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier this week it emerged Wales-born Mrs Fillon had no identification badge or email address during a decade 'working' as a highly paid parliamentary aide.

Now the Daily Telegraph has unearthed a video interview from 2007 with Mrs Fillon, in which she is asked about how involved she was in her husband's career.

Police have discovered French presidential candidate Francois Fillon's wife, Wales-born Penelope Fillon, had no ID badge or email address during a decade 'working' as a highly paid parliamentary aide

She said she did 'bits and pieces' for her husband, including delivering leaflets during election campaigns.

But then she added: 'I have never actually been his assistant or anything like that. I don't deal with his communication.'

Kim Willsher, the journalist who interviewed Mrs Fillon in 2007, told The Guardian: 'A decade on, this seemingly inoffensive interview – and the key detail of whether she actually worked for her husband – has become a key part of "Penelopegate", a scandal that threatens to destroy the political career of the man who, until just a few weeks ago, was the clear favourite to be France’s next president.'

Ms Willsher said she contacted Mrs Fillon last year for the first time in almost a decade and asked for a fresh interview.

'Until a week ago, I was still hopeful it would happen. But I doubt (Mrs) Fillon will speak to me now. And, though it is not my fault, who could blame her?' she added.

The Fillons were questioned separately this week about why she was paid £700,000 to be his parliamentary assistant.

France's satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine discovered she was employed as her husband's parliamentary assistant from 1988-90 and 1998-2002 and by his successor, Marc Jouland, from 2002-2007. She also worked for Mr Fillon between 2012 and 2013.

Just three months ago in Dijon, the mustard capital of France, Mrs Fillon told reporters she had 'never been involved in the political life of my husband'

It has also emerged the couple had two of their children on the payroll, paying them a total of £82,000 as 'parliamentary assistants' while they were still students.

Police on Tuesday raided the parliamentary offices of Mr Fillon in connection with the fraud enquiry that threatens to destroy his campaign to reach the Elysee Palace.

The couple's lawyer, Antonin Levy, admitted to the Parisien newspaper that Mrs Fillon had no badge or dedicated email address when she was an aide between 1998 and 2007.

'Many parliamentary assistants from the provinces do not have a badge,' Mr Levy claimed, adding that the 'vast majority' of aides did not have dedicated email addresses.

But these claims by Mr Levy were flatly denied by sources at the National Assembly, who said all parliamentary workers had identity cards and email addresses.

Police have raided the parliamentary offices of Penelope Fillon's husband, Francois Fillon in connection with the fraud enquiry that threatens to destroy his campaign for president

The Fillons - both aged 62 - were placed in separate rooms in a Versailles police station on Monday night, as they were questioned about the growing sleaze scandal for more than five hours.

Despite their claims, nobody has any recollection whatsoever of Mrs Fillon having worked in her husband's office.

Other alleged scams include Mrs Fillon pretending she was an editorial consultant to a cultural magazine, so enabling a billionaire friend to funnel thousands more into the couple's account every month.

Fillon, pictured speaking during a debate on Tuesday, and his wife Penelope were both questioned on Monday by police over the growing scandal

Mrs Fillon, a solicitor's daughter from Wales who hopes to become First Lady of France, has not said a word in public since the scandal broke last Wednesday.

Prosecutors have opened an enquiry into embezzlement, misuse of public funds, and concealment.

All of the charges come with maximum prison sentences of between five and 10 years for those found guilty.

Three months ago in Dijon, the mustard capital of France, Mrs Fillon told reporters she had 'never been involved in the political life of my husband.'

As the time, even Mr Fillon told a TV interviewer his wife did nothing except for attend functions with him, and hand out leaflets.

Mrs Fillon, who is a devout Roman Catholic, was born and brought up near Abergavenny in south Wales.