News Of The World : Murder spook had rainbow wig and make-up

Murder spook had rainbow wig and make-up

By Lucy Panton, Crime Editor | August 29, 2010

MURDERED MI6 spy Gareth Williams was found padlocked inside a sports bag with a rainbow wig at his flat, the News of the World can exclusively reveal.

Williams, 31-a brilliant mathematician on secondment to foreign spy service MI6 from eavesdropping base GCHQ-was found dead on Monday, eight days after he was last seen.

It was initially reported that his body had been stuffed in a suitcase.

But we can reveal he was PADLOCKED inside a red North Face sports holdall.

Our revelations today give the first accurate picture of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the death.

The alarm was raised by Williams' worried sister Ceri Subbe after he failed to return her calls.

Officers who arrived at the rented £400,000 top-floor flat in Pimlico, central London, described it as pristinely clean with no sign of disturbance or blood.

They found a number of hair-pieces including a flamboyant rainbow WIG and a MAKE-UP collection.

And in another twist it emerged that cycling fanatic Williams was expected to join friends at a TRANSVESTITE comedy club shortly before his death. Williams' private life is now a major part of the inquiry into his death.

A security source told us: "It is a baffling set of circumstances to find a body in. This man's flat was incredibly clean, not your typical bachelor pad.

"There were a number of wigs and some make-up found which have led to questions over whether he was a cross-dresser. Police found no signs of disturbance or anything to suggest a struggle and it does not appear anything was taken."

Two laptops including an expensive Apple Mac, memory sticks and two iPhones were among valuables still in the flat.

The security source added: "With so many unanswered questions from the scene it is hard to give the family the answers they so desperately want about how their son died."

Police are now probing CCTV footage around the flat, a short distance from MI6's HQ beside the Thames.

The source added: "Until the toxicology tests come back no one can speculate on the cause of death and until they know that they will not class it as a murder."

We can reveal that Mr Williams had a withered hand following a cycling accident.

A relative revealed how his hand was "twisted and damaged" and left him unable to use it properly.

Downing Street, domestic intelligence agency MI5 and Scotland Yard are being kept informed about the case.

Senior Government figures are concerned that someone with so many question marks over his private life could hold a post in which he could be vulnerable to blackmail.

Officers are probing his bank accounts after reports of several deposits of around £2,000. One theory is Williams was a blackmail victim and was transferring money into his account to pay off a tormentor.

Family members have insisted they knew nothing of a gay or cross-dressing lifestyle.

On Friday his parents Ian and Ellen and their family released a statement saying: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother and friend."