UKPA : Coroner criticises MI6 death probe

Coroner criticises MI6 death probe

May 1, 2012

MI6 and a senior detective have been accused of failing to disclose vital evidence in the death riddle of spy Gareth Williams.

A coroner suggested the counter-terror officer was not being "completely impartial" towards secret services during the Scotland Yard inquiry.

Detective Superintendent Michael Broster was criticised after his assistant was told he had offered evidence as "helpful as a London pea souper" at the inquest into Mr Williams's death.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox and the family's lawyer both delivered angry outbursts after it emerged that nine computer memory sticks and a black bag were overlooked for 21 months after the death.

The lead detective on the case was told about the evidence only on Monday.

Dr Wilcox told Mr Broster, who was unable to rule out secret service involvement in the death, that he was offering "total non-sequitur" reasons for failing to pass on evidence.

"I suggest that this means you have not been completely impartial in this case," she told him at Westminster Coroner's Court.

As Dr Wilcox ordered police to bring the missed evidence into the inquest into Mr Williams's death, family barrister Anthony O'Toole told police they had not taken the incident seriously enough.

The lawyer said: "If this had not involved SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and it was the Kray twins you were investigating, you would have gone into this in far more detail."

The 31-year-old fitness enthusiast was found naked, curled up in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23 2010.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : MI6 accused over spy case evidence

MI6 accused over spy case evidence

May 1, 2012

MI6 was accused of failing to disclose evidence during the 21-month police inquiry into the death riddle of spy Gareth Williams whose body was found in a central London flat.

A detective faced claims he offered information as "helpful as London pea souper" after it emerged secret services held on to nine computer memory sticks and a black bag.

As a coroner ordered police to bring the missed evidence into the inquest of Mr Williams' death, family barrister Anthony O'Toole told police they had not taken the incident seriously enough.

The North Face bag - similar to the one which Mr Williams was found dead in at his flat - was discovered by officers under the spy's desk at MI6's HQ.

But the lead detective on the case was only told about it on Monday after officers were stopped from seizing it in August 2010.

MI6 also examined computer equipment belonging to Mr Williams without telling police, the inquest heard.

Family members of Mr Williams shook their heads as Detective Constable Colin Hall, of the force's counter-terror SO15 branch, said his search of the agent's Vauxhall HQ was called off shortly after the spy was found dead.

Mr Hall said "there was stuff in there of a sensitive nature" in the bag but, when asked what, he said he could not remember.

Mr O'Toole added: "That's about as helpful as London pea souper."

The 31-year-old fitness enthusiast was found naked, curled up in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico on August 23 2010, with pathologists saying poisoning and asphyxiation are the "foremost contenders" in solving the death riddle.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Video shows spy wearing only boots

Video shows spy wearing only boots

April 27, 2012

A video recovered from Gareth Williams's flat appears to show him dressed in nothing but black leather boots, the inquest into his death has heard.

He "wiggles and gyrates" with his back to the camera in the footage found on a mobile phone by detectives.

The MI6 spy also kept pictures of drag queens on his computer and browsed self-bondage websites on his computers and phone. He spent 50% of his time online looking at "couture" women's fashion and was looking at fetish websites days before his death.

In one record of him viewing self-bondage websites, images showed "a model enclosed in plastic and using a vacuum cleaner to suck the air out", Detective Constable Robert Burrows said.

Det Con Burrows said film also "appears to show him being filmed from the back naked apart from a pair of leather boots".

Describing the footage, Dec Con Burrows said: "He walks up to the chair and stands directly behind the back of the chair."

He appears to reach down and touch his boots before he "wiggles and gyrates his posture". He then turns towards the camera before walking out of view.

Web records also showed he once searched for bondage sites and watched a YouTube video after typing "dress bondage training". Pages from 2008 showed he may have looked at sites relating to "hogtie", a bondage method of tying the limbs together.

Drag queen images saved on his computer include those of Jay Clarke and Jeffrey Star.

Detective Constable Simon Warren said: "I would say that Gareth was keenly interested in ladies' fashion but the very high end couture fashion." He said the bondage footage on his computer was "an isolated (incident) among a sea of other data".

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Spy poisoning 'cannot be ruled out'

Spy poisoning 'cannot be ruled out'

April 26, 2012

Scientists cannot rule out that spy Gareth Williams was poisoned before being dumped in a bag because it took MI6 a week to realise he was missing, an inquest has heard.

Traces of a drug matching the party drug GHB appeared in his bloodstream - but forensic expert Denise Stanworth said it "probably" appeared naturally after he died. She added that "we cannot rule out volatile agents" as she was asked how reliable toxicology can be nine days after death.

Ms Stanworth also said it was impossible to say if there was any sign of the legal high poppers, acknowledging that the drug "could have caused loss of consciousness or death".

MI6 had earlier apologised for failing to raise the alarm about his disappearance, conceding the error may have hampered police inquiries.

Relatives walked out on the inquest in tears as a senior spy said the secret service was "profoundly sorry" for delays in noticing he was missing.

The family's lawyer accused MI6 of showing "total disregard for Gareth's whereabouts and safety" before he was found dead in his London home on August 23, 2010.

Mr Williams, who was largely teetotal, had 78mg per 100ml of alcohol in his blood when toxicology tests were carried out on his decomposed body.

Ms Stanworth said the traces of GHB was "likely to be post-mortem production". When asked how reliable tests could be, she added: "In terms of many of the drugs, reliable, but in terms of the more volatile substances, not that reliable."

MI6 earlier denied "dark arts" were behind his death, despite saying a malign or hostile party could have "theoretically put some pressure on to Gareth".

The inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court was adjourned until Friday.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Spy 'had tied himself to his bed'

Spy 'had tied himself to his bed'

April 26, 2012

MI6 spy Gareth Williams tied himself to his bed and had to be cut free several years before his naked body turned up in a padlocked bag, his inquest has heard.

Mr Williams was working for GCHQ in Cheltenham when he was forced to cry out for help after attaching his wrists to his headboard in his rented flat.

His landlord and landlady rushed to his aid in the middle of the night after hearing him shout from the annexe to their home, where he lived. They found him bound to his bed and wearing only his boxer shorts, the hearing was told.

Embarrassed, panicky and apologetic, he explained to them he had been trying to see if he could escape, his landlady said. In a written statement read to London's Westminster Coroner's Court, Jennifer Elliot described the startling scene that greeted her and her husband three years before their former tenant's death.

He was not aroused and although his landlady could see "no sperm near him", she and her husband assumed the escapade was probably sexual rather than an attempt at escapology, she said. There was no repeat of the strange incident, Ms Elliot said, and she and her husband never spoke of it to anyone but each other.

Mr Williams's body was found locked in a holdall in the bath at his central London flat in Pimlico on August 23, 2010, but 20 months on his death remains shrouded in mystery.

Police who entered the apartment after he went missing found some £20,000-worth of high-end women's clothing and shoes among his possessions, the inquest has heard.

A member of staff who worked at upmarket west London fashion store Dover Street Market recalled him coming in regularly and buying women's items he said were for his girlfriend. In a written statement read to the court, Carol Kirton said the spy had never mentioned his girlfriend's name.

Elizabeth Guthrie, a friend of Mr Williams, was asked in court whether the spy had ever expressed an interest in cross-dressing. "Nothing of a sexual bent but we were going to a fancy dress ball together," she said. "He was going as a ninja, not as a queen."

Mr Williams had, however, visited websites about claustrophilia - the love of enclosure - and bondage and sadomasochism on his home computer, the court heard.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : MI6 spy 'used another name'

MI6 spy 'used another name'

April 25, 2012

The MI6 spy whose body was found in a padlocked hold-all in his bathtub in London sometimes went by a name other than Gareth Williams, his inquest has heard.

But his mystery second identity was not revealed as the coroner cut short the line of questioning to a friend of the 31-year-old.

Elizabeth Guthrie was asked by Mr Williams's family lawyer Anthony O'Toole whether the spy had told her he "sometimes used another name", to which she replied "yes". She also revealed that Mr Williams had used a number of different phones to call her. "He wouldn't always call me from one number and he had brought various phones around," she said. "It was different numbers coming in and calling me that turned out to be Gareth's voice."

Mr Williams's body was found in his Pimlico flat in London in August 2010 but, 20 months on, the circumstances of his death remain a riddle.

When police entered his home, they found some £20,000-worth of expensive women's clothing and shoes, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court has heard. Ms Guthrie said she and Mr Williams had been planning to attend a fancy dress ball together, dressed as luridly-coloured Manga characters.

Asked if her friend had ever expressed an interest in cross-dressing, Ms Guthrie said: "Nothing of a sexual bent but we were going to a fancy dress ball together. He was going as a ninja, not as a queen." Asked about his sexuality, she said: "I have a personal view that he was straight."

Questions were also raised about whether Mr Williams's work computer could have been tampered with by the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) after the spy's body was discovered. The electronic equipment was handed to Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, SO15, on August 27 - four days after his death came to light, the inquest heard.

But Mr O'Toole noted there was not "any statement from any person at GCHQ to say that equipment was not tampered with" in the interim period.

Superintendent Michael Broster, who was responsible for SO15's involvement in the investigation, said Mr Williams's workplace had been "sealed and taped". He went on: "I can't testify absolutely it wasn't interfered with. However I've no reason to suspect that it was." He told the court he had not established any link between Mr Williams's work and his death. "There's no link between his work and his death that I've been privy to," he said.

He was asked how it could have been leaked to the press that Mr Williams's home computer showed he had visited websites about claustrophilia - the love of enclosure - and bondage and sadomasochism. Mr Broster said he did not know how this had happened.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Spy's mother quits inquest

Spy's mother quits inquest

April 24, 2012

The mother of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, found dead in his central London flat, walked out on inquest proceedings amid family distress at delays in evidence.

Ellen Williams left the courtroom frustrated about legal submissions holding up the hearing into her son's death, her lawyer said.

Proceedings were delayed by more than 30 minutes for a second day as a coroner denied media applications to allow a court artist to take notes.

Mrs Williams was absent as Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire attempted to dash speculation that secret services removed evidence after Mr Williams was found dead in a sports holdall.

She said nobody was allowed in Mr Williams' London apartment without her knowledge after August 23, 2010.

"To the best of my knowledge I am sure that no one else got in," the detective told the hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court.

Counter-terror detectives attended because they deal with incidents involving intelligence agents, but SO15 was not in charge, Ms Sebire said.

The inquest has heard Mr Williams had been unhappy living in London and complained about "friction" at the intelligence agency.

He hated the post-work drinking culture and "flash car competitions" at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), his sister Ceri Subbe said.

Mr Williams was due to move back to the West Country a week after his naked body was discovered padlocked inside a holdall in the bath of his flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, west London, on August 23, 2010.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Mystery DNA at spy's death scene

Mystery DNA at spy's death scene

April 24, 2012

A mysterious DNA discovery at the central London death scene of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was revealed as a detective said she believed there was third party involvement.

Unidentified forensic traces were left on the bag encasing his curled-up body in a bath, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said.

The leading officer in the case came close to ruling out suicide as she said "two minor components of another contributor's DNA" were found on the zip toggle and padlock.

Her evidence came as footage of a red holdall bulging with his body shape was played in public for the first time.

Ms Sebire said her officers had looked at all possibilities. But she told Westminster Coroner's Court: "My thought or my opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or by putting the body in the bag."

Items on display in footage of Mr Williams' immaculately kept flat included a newspaper cutting headlined "top five regrets of the dying".

The police video took the inquest on a walking tour of his Pimlico home, showing a woman's red wig, lipstick and make-up, in the condition that it was found.

Footage then showed close-up images of the white bathroom suite where Mr Williams's body was found. The film zoomed in on the red North Face bag, showing bulges from his limbs inside and a brass padlock locking two zips together from the outside.

There was no sign of a break-in at the flat, with cash left in a cupboard and a mobile phone on the living room table.

Mr Williams's sister, Ceri Subbe, sat in the hearing without her parents, who walked out this morning over delays in evidence. The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday, when friends of Mr Williams will give evidence.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Spy inquest sees video of flat

Spy inquest sees video of flat

April 24, 2012

Dramatic footage of a red holdall bulging with the curled-up body of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, who was found dead in London, has been played to an inquest.

Video of the immaculately kept flat at the centre of his death riddle was played for the first time after his parents walked out on proceedings.

Police images of the death scene also showed a cutting from the Observer newspaper headlined "top five regrets of the dying".

Forensic scene recordings were played after the detective in charge said she allowed a counter-terror officer into the crime scene.

Mr Williams's sister, Ceri Subbe, sat in the hearing without her parents as images showed the scene which greeted detectives as they arrived at his flat on August 23, 2010.

The video took the inquest on a walking tour of his Pimlico home - showing a red woman's wig, lipstick and make-up - in the condition that it was found.

Footage showed close-up images of the white bathroom suite where Mr Williams's body was found. The film zoomed in on the red North Face bag, showing bulges from his limbs inside, and a brass padlock locking two zips together from the outside.

Detectives found the Observer article detailing regrets of the dying in the living room near a book by Alan Warner and some of Mr Williams's own paintings.

There was no sign of a break-in at the flat with footage showing Mr Williams had left cash in a cupboard and a mobile phone on the living room table.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said there was little clutter and mess in the flat except for a dressing gown and quilt discarded on the bedroom floor. Ms Sebire said: "I also found it difficult to explain because of his general tidyness. In my opinion it was not something that was easily explainable."

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : MI6 spy 'unhappy with London job'

MI6 spy 'unhappy with London job'

April 23, 2012

An MI6 spy found dead in a sports bag had been unhappy living in London and complained about "friction" at the intelligence agency, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Williams, 31, of Anglesey, North Wales, hated the post-work drinking culture and "flash car competitions" at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), his sister said.

He was due to move back to the West Country a week after his naked body was discovered padlocked inside a holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23 2010.

The inquest into Mr Williams's mysterious death began with evidence that Scotland Yard murder detectives were not able to speak to his MI6 colleagues directly. Instead specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police's SO15 counter-terrorism command had to carry out the interviews and produce anonymised statements.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, from the Met's homicide and serious crime command, said police were not shown any internal inquiry by SIS into what happened to the brilliant codebreaker. But he stressed that MI6 co-operated fully with Scotland Yard, adding that he was not aware of MI5, MI6 or SO15 carrying out their own independent investigations into Mr Williams's death.

The spy's sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest her brother was excited when he began what was supposed to be a three-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the Government listening station based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

But he missed the countryside and became disillusioned with the atmosphere at MI6's Vauxhall Cross headquarters in London. "He even spoke of friction in the office," Mrs Subbe said, adding: "The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

In April 2010 he applied to return to GCHQ earlier than planned. MI6 "dragged their feet" in approving his request but eventually agreed he could go back to Cheltenham on September 1 2010.

Mr Williams failed to turn up for a meeting at MI6 on August 16 2010, the inquest heard. Mrs Subbe said she discussed her brother's absence with one of his colleagues. She said: "He is very conscientious. The person I spoke to agreed, and said Gareth was like a Swiss clock - very punctual, very efficient, and it was very unlike him not to attend a meeting."

Paying tribute, she said he was "perfect" as a "big brother figure", adding: "It's impossible to do justice to Gareth's impressive character without meeting him." She told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court she did not believe Mr Williams would let a potential killer in his upmarket London flat, adding: "I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness".

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : 40 spies set for MI6 man's inquest

40 spies set for MI6 man's inquest

February 15, 2011

Up to 40 spies could give evidence anonymously at the inquest into the mysterious death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams in central London, a coroner has been told.

Paul Knapman adjourned an inquiry into the 31-year-old's death as Scotland Yard detectives wait for the results of a fresh round of forensic tests.

Counter-terrorism officers have interviewed "in the region of 40" of the expert codebreaker's colleagues at MI6 and GCHQ, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

The inquest heard that some or all of them could give evidence about Mr Williams, whose naked and decomposing body was found in a bag in the bath of his Pimlico flat last August.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire admitted the likelihood of tracing a Mediterranean couple seen at Mr Williams's home weeks before his death is diminishing.

Speaking about forensic tests, she said: "We have done a phased submission of tests to the laboratory. We are still waiting for some outstanding tests that went out before Christmas."

After a 10-minute hearing, Dr Knapman adjourned the inquest until Thursday March 31, but said it is not known whether it will go ahead then.

Dr Knapman said he had read a report summarising the forensic tests written by a police expert but added "it is a matter of some regret" that the inquest cannot go ahead. He said the Mediterranean couple have not come forward, there are no new clues and it appears to be "less and less likely that something will happen".

Mr Williams, of Anglesey, North Wales, was found in a large North Face holdall, sealed by a padlock, at his top-floor flat in Alderney Street on August 23.

The mysterious discovery sparked a painstaking Scotland Yard investigation, worldwide media frenzy, and several outlandish conspiracy theories. A battery of post-mortem tests have so far failed to determine how he died and police found it would have been impossible for him to have locked himself inside.

Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Friend: Suitcase death spy was not gay

Friend: Suitcase death spy was not gay

UKPA | December 26, 2010

MI6 spy Gareth Williams was training to take on a new identity eight months before he was found dead, it has been reported.

And a close friend also insisted he was not gay after detectives suggested the 31-year-old may have died at the hands of a mystery bondage sex partner he met on London's gay scene.

Sian Lloyd-Jones, 33, told the Mail on Sunday that before he died, Mr Williams was studying for a new identity as he visited her central London flat.

She said: "He said he was learning his new identity. It was all so relaxed.

"He often came round with his work. That night he came over with his box file and started going through it. He had two passports."

And she said Mr Williams was a straight man who was looking for a girlfriend.

She said: "He was open with his family, and if he was gay and had any temptations he would have spoken about them, especially to his sister.

"Hand on heart, there were no innuendos about him."

She added: "He cherished the time he had with his sister and with me and he wanted that with other girls."

Police have said it would have been impossible for the dead man to lock himself in the holdall where his naked body was found.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Sex partner 'might have killed spy'

Sex partner 'might have killed spy'

UKPA | December 22, 2010

MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have died at the hands of a mystery bondage sex partner he met on London's gay scene, detectives have suggested.

Investigators said the 31-year-old codebreaker was immersed in the capital's thriving gay nightlife and had repeatedly visited extreme bondage websites. He also had a secret passion for fashion and hoarded unworn women's designer clothes worth £15,000 in his wardrobe alongside several wigs.

Police said it would have been impossible for the dead man to lock himself in the holdall where his naked body was found, and forensic evidence indicates other people were in his flat who they have been unable to trace.

But police said it is impossible to say whether Mr Williams was already dead when he was put in the bag or died from suffocation once zipped inside.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell said the spy's secretive private life probably holds the key to his death and that a "small sub-group of the community" may well know something about his final moments but police cannot trace them.

Speaking at New Scotland Yard, Mr Campbell said: "We are very sure that someone else was in that flat. We want to know the circumstances when you would leave somebody in that position, by accident or design. Maybe, by explaining to the public, someone will think: 'I get it and I can explain.'"

Mr Williams, of Anglesey, North Wales, was found by police at his top-floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, on August 23. His decomposing body was in a large padlocked holdall.

The keys were inside, under his body. Police believe he died in the early hours of Monday August 16 and he was last seen the previous day returning from a shopping trip to Harrods.

Detectives revealed remarkable new details of their investigation as they announced an inquest will be held at Westminster Coroner's Court on February 15.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the inquiry, revealed that Mr Williams visited at least five bondage websites in the months before his death, that included extreme videos of people being tied up, constricted and suffocated as well as do-it-yourself guides.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Bondage clue to spy's death

Bondage clue to spy's death

UKPA | December 22, 2010

Mystery death spy Gareth Williams visited a series of bondage websites in the months before his death at his London flat, police have revealed.

The 31-year-old MI6 codebreaker viewed sites showing people bound and tied, which included do-it-yourself guides.

Detectives also found a £15,000 collection of unworn women's designer clothing, including tops, dresses and shoes in his wardrobe.

They revealed he visited a drag cabaret in east London four days before his death and held tickets to two more. One witness has also come forward to say he was at a popular gay bar in Vauxhall several months before his death.

Mr Williams's decomposing body was found in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat on August 23. The keys were inside. Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said she is convinced someone else helped put him in there. She said police believe they will get to the bottom of the intensely private spy's death by studying his private life.

Speaking at New Scotland Yard, she said: "We remain completely open-minded about how he died. We are appealing today to someone who is out there to come forward and tell us more."

The GCHQ code-breaker, who had been on secondment to the spy agency, was found dead by police after concerns were raised for his welfare. The mysterious circumstances of Mr Williams's death sparked an international frenzy of speculation.

No evidence of drugs, alcohol or poisons were found during a battery of tests conducted by toxicologists. Mrs Sebire revealed that police have forensic evidence that other people were in the flat, whom they have not been able to trace.

She added that an expert, brought in to examine the red North Face holdall Mr Williams was found in, concluded he could not have locked it. The zip was held shut by a common travel-style Yale padlock through holes in two zip fasteners.

Tests found the temperature inside the bag would have risen to 30C within three minutes. An expert on survivability in confined spaces from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) said he would have suffocated in 30 minutes. Mr Williams, of Anglesey, North Wales, was last seen alive on August 15, eight days before he was found dead in the £400,000 property.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Tests on spy's body draw blank

Tests on spy's body draw blank

October 28, 2010

Tests on the body of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, who was found in a London flat, have revealed no traces of any foreign substances that may have led to his death.

No evidence of drugs, alcohol or poisons were found during a battery of tests conducted by toxicologists, sources close to the inquiry said.

The 30-year-old GCHQ code-breaker's naked and decomposing body was found in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat on August 23.

The mysterious circumstances of Mr Williams' death sparked an international frenzy of speculation earlier this year. Coroner Dr Paul Knapman is due to review the case in private next Wednesday after opening an inquest on September 1.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Results from comprehensive further toxicology tests carried out in relation to the death of Gareth Williams have come back negative, showing no trace of any drugs, alcohol, poisons or any other substances that would indicate cause of death.

"There are no plans to carry out any further tests of this type, but enquiries continue to try and establish a formal cause of death. Mr Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances continue."

Scotland Yard detectives, led by Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, continue to try and identify what led to Mr Williams' death. They have been hunting for a man and a woman seen calling at the communal door of his Alderney Street home. Witnesses said the Mediterranean couple, aged in their twenties, were let into the property late on an evening in June or July.

Mr Williams' body was found by officers who called at his flat after colleagues raised the alarm that he had not been seen for some time. There was no sign of any forced entry to the property or a disturbance inside and nothing is believed to be missing.

He was found unclothed, in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall in an empty bath in the ensuite bathroom. A first post mortem examination could not identify a cause of death and police sent off numerous intimate samples for further tests. Mr Williams, of Anglesey, North Wales, was last seen alive on August 15, eight days before he was found dead in the £400,000 property.

Anyone with information should contact the incident room on 020 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

UKPA : Police refuse comment on spy's death

Police refuse comment on spy's death

September 25, 2010

Police have refused to comment on a report that a spy found dead in a holdall could not have died alone.

Gareth Williams, 31, was on secondment at the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month.

His naked body was discovered in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London.

Mystery surrounds his death and police continue to investigate. They regard the case as "suspicious and unexplained".

The Daily Mail said police were certain he was padlocked into the large holdall by someone else.

It said he was alive when he got into, or was forced into, the bag, and died from suffocation.

There have previously also been reports elsewhere that Mr Williams died alone.

Scotland Yard declined to comment on the new claim, or a suggestion in the same story that the outer door of Mr Williams' Government flat in Pimlico, central London, had been locked from the outside.

The Yard has previously announced that it wants to identify a man and woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of his flat late one evening in June or July.

The Mail reported that they are understood to have had a set of keys to the flat, though again the Yard had no comment.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : MI6 chief attends funeral of spy

MI6 chief attends funeral of spy

UKPA | September 24, 2010

Spy Gareth Williams, who was found dead in a flat in central London, has been laid to rest in a service attended by the head of MI6.

Sir John Sawers made the journey from London to the small Bethel Methodist Chapel in Anglesey on Friday to support Mr Williams's family and represent the maths genius's colleagues who could not attend.

Sir John, the public face of the agency, took his place in the 115-year-old church through the front door - unlike a number of other spooks ushered into the building through a back door to protect their identities.

Mr Williams, 31, was on secondment at the Secret Intelligence Service from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month. His body was discovered trapped in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico.

Mystery surrounds his death and police continue to investigate. No trace of drugs or alcohol was found in the cycling enthusiast's body.

Outside church, when asked if the investigation would ever get to the bottom of what happened to Mr Williams, Sir John said it was not for him to say. He insisted it was a police matter and said: "It has been a desperately sad period for the family since Gareth died.

"It has been very difficult for them and I wanted to be here today as the only public face of the Secret Intelligence Service. My deepest sympathies go to the family. Gareth was a hugely talented person and he was very modest and generous as well. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

Tearful relatives followed Mr Williams's pine coloured coffin into church with his parents Ian and Ellen and sister Ceri, whose husband Chris Subbe also paid tribute to Mr Williams during the service. Mr Williams's parents issued a short statement saying: "Ellen, Ian, Ceri, Chris and all the family wish to thank everyone for all the sympathy and kindness shown to them in their bereavement."

Mr Williams was last seen alive eight days before his body was found. CCTV showed him shopping at Harrods and at Holland Park tube station. Police have refused to categorise his death as murder.

Mr Williams was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London. He was due to return to a rented flat in Cheltenham where Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, is based. Mr Williams also worked for the United States National Security Agency and made regular trips to Washington DC and Fort Meade, near Baltimore.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Funeral of MI6 man found dead in bag

Funeral of MI6 man found dead in bag

September 24, 2010

The funeral of MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams, whose body was found in London, is to take place.

The 31-year-old's naked body was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath at his London flat on August 23.

Scotland Yard is treating his death as "unexplained".

He died while on secondment to the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from his work at Government Communications HQ (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.

The public funeral will be held at 1pm at the Bethel Chapel, Holyhead, Anglesey.

Mr Williams's parents, Ian and Ellen, asked for donations in the keen cyclist's memory to go to their local mountain rescue service.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Funeral date for MI6 man found dead in bag

Funeral date for MI6 man found dead in bag

September 22, 2010

The funeral of MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams, whose body was found in London, will take place on Friday.

The 31-year-old's naked body was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath at his flat on August 23.

Scotland Yard is treating his death as "unexplained".

In a death notice in the North Wales Daily Post, his family announced that the public funeral will take place at 1pm on Friday at the Bethel Chapel, Holyhead, Anglesey.

The notice went on to pay tribute to Mr Williams, saying he was the "beloved" son of Ellen and Ian and the "adored brother and best friend" of sister Ceri and her husband Chris.

The family of Mr Williams, a keen sportsman, has asked for donations to the local Mountain Rescue Service in his memory.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.