THE parents of a businessman suspected of bludgeoning his girlfriend to death have been questioned by police after his sports car was found at their Winwick home.

Thirty-nine-year-old Ian Griffin has been the subject of an international manhunt since the body of his tycoon girlfriend, 36-year-old Kinga Legg, was found battered by a cleaner in the bathroom of the couple’s suite at the exclusive Hotel Le Bristol in Paris on Tuesday.

Griffin is believed to have fled the £1,000-a-night hotel in his black Porsche 911, which was recovered by police at the home of his parents, Janet and Bernard, on Delph Lane on Thursday.

Bernard Griffin, aged 67, told The Mail: “I have not seen my son for a while. I know of Kinga but I know nothing about this incident in Paris.”

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said they had traced and interviewed a number of people associated with Ian Griffin but no arrests had been made in connection with the investigation.

The spokesman added: “This investigation is being led by the French authorities and UK forces cannot comment on these matters.

“However, a number of forces, including Cheshire, are undertaking specific actions to support the French investigation.”

It has emerged that Griffin, who once worked as a male model, tried to take his speedboat from a River Thames marina 24 hours after Ms Legg’s body was found.

French police said the Polish-born millonairess died from internal bleeding as a result of her injuries that included serious head wounds believed to have been caused by strikes using a lampstand.

Ms Legg ran her family company, Vegex, which supplies tomatoes to British supermarkets and has a base in Surrey where she shared a home with Griffin who she met in Knutsford three years ago.

Griffin, a former Culcheth High School pupil who once claimed to be worth £46million, posted a series of boastful entries touting his wealth on Friends Reunited telling former schoolmates: “I do not feel it is necessary to bore you all with my incredible success over the past 17 years.

“I would just like to say if any of you have mustered up a fraction of what I have accomplished, Well done! If not, contact my PA for some advice.

“I have read all your notes, and to be quite frank none of you sorry lot have accomplished anything apart from babies, dogs and goldfish.”

He built a string of businesses including tanning salons and gadget shops across north-west England but it is understood he was declared bankrupt in 2006.

Former schoolmates have berated Griffin on the social networking site.

One message from Paula Gilmore read: “Just read today's Sun newspaper. What an accomplishment, on the run suspected of killing your millionaire girlfriend who you've been living off after failed businesses and bankruptcy. To use your words ‘what a sorry state of affairs’.”

Officers are appealing to Griffin, who is wanted for questioning, to contact police.

The Cheshire Police spokesman added: “If Ian Griffin is in the north west, we would urge him to make contact with police, either in Cheshire or elsewhere in the region.”