BBC : 'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist

'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist

[podcast]

By Philip Kemp | Radio 4's The Report | May 24, 2012

A leading pathologist says the possibility MI6 officer Gareth Williams died alone should be re-examined.

Dr Richard Shepherd told the BBC there is "credible evidence" that bags identical to the one Mr Williams was found in can be locked by someone inside the bag.

Expert witnesses at the inquest into Mr Williams' death failed to do so despite making hundreds of attempts.

However, evidence has since been published claiming it can be done.

Dr Shepherd, who conducted one of the post-mortem examinations of Gareth Williams, has previously worked on other high profile cases including the deaths of Princess Diana and the government scientist David Kelly.

He says the police should now re-examine the possibility Mr Williams died alone as part of their on-going investigations.

Speaking to Radio 4's The Report, he said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."

The Metropolitan Police said the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death continue to be the subject of a thorough investigation.

Mr Williams was found dead, locked in a bag located in a bath tub in his London flat in 2010. One key question before the inquest into his death was whether he had locked himself in the bag.

At the pre-inquest hearing, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the question was central to her inquiries.

Confined space expert Peter Faulding told the inquest that while he could not rule out that it was possible, "even Houdini would have struggled with this one".

A second expert, William MacKay said he and an assistant had also failed despite making more than a hundred attempts.

Their evidence helped the coroner Dr Wilcox earlier this month come to the conclusion that Mr Williams was probably unlawfully killed.

New evidence emerges

However, journalist Claire Hayhurst claims she managed to lock herself in a similar bag after just five attempts under the guidance of a former soldier, Jim Featherstonhaugh, who claims to have figured out a technique.

"The trickiest part was getting the lock together which is the biggest riddle of it. I spent maybe two-and-a-half hours getting in and out, filming it, and most of that time was spent with me outside the bag desperately drinking water and trying to recover," she told the BBC.

"I'm not super-fit but I've been told I've got a similar build to Gareth.

"I'd agree that someone of exactly the same proportions would be a fairer comparison but I do think me doing it shows that it's certainly possible."

Claire Hayhurst stresses she worked under the supervision of safety experts and says any attempt to recreate the experiment would be highly dangerous.

Confined space expert Peter Faulding told The Report he stood by the evidence he gave to the inquest.

"None of my conclusions were wrong - a young girl zipping a bag doesn't discredit this inquiry whatsoever," he said.

"We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA on the bath - and that's the key to this," he added.

It has also been pointed out that Claire Hayhurst did not lock the bag in exactly the same way as the holdall found in Gareth Williams' flat.

At the inquest into his death, Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was satisfied that a third party had been involved in moving the bag containing the MI6 officer into the bathroom of his flat.

BBC : MI6 staff 'may face DNA screening over spy death'

MI6 staff 'may face DNA screening over spy death'

May 8, 2012

MI6 staff may have samples of their DNA checked following the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, the head of the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

Bernard Hogan-Howe also demanded that MI6 give "unrestricted access" to detectives for the first time, as Scotland Yard reinvestigate the case.

The naked body of Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, was found locked in a bag in a bath in his London flat in 2010.

A coroner has concluded that he was probably unlawfully killed.

She also said she doubted whether Mr Williams' death would ever be explained, saying that "fundamental questions" remained unanswered.

Mr Hogan-Howe said any screening of staff at MI6 would be voluntary and could involve a few MI6 officers, or many.

A number of DNA samples were taken during the previous investigation.

Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."

When asked if MI6 had agreed to grant new levels of access, Mr Hogan-Howe said they didn't have to: "It's called the law."

He criticised an "unacceptable" breakdown in communication over potential evidence, which emerged during the inquest.

Memory sticks

He said the senior investigating officer (SIO) would in future have complete access to all MI6 material, after it emerged a counter-terrorism officer did not tell the SIO, Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire, about potential evidence.

He has told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency, in a break with tradition at the force.

Scotland Yard detectives are normally required to involve counter-terror colleagues at SO15 to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.

Det Con Colin Hall from SO15 searched Mr Williams' MI6 office on 26 August 2010, but did not seize computer memory sticks because he was told they contained material "of a sensitive nature".

A North Face bag similar to the one in which Mr Williams was found, was allegedly withheld by secret-service officers.

Mrs Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found, is soon likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.

Speaking last week, she said it was "highly likely" that a third party was involved in Mr Williams's death, and urged anyone who knew him to come forward with any information.

An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into Mr Williams's death, the commissioner said.

Forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the independent review.

But Mr Hogan-Howe added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."
Green towel

Mr Williams was not reported missing by his bosses at MI6 until a week after he was last seen, and the post-mortem examination was not carried out until nine days after he died.

A small amount of "unexplained" DNA was found on the zip toggle and padlock of the red holdall, containing his curled-up body.

Forensic experts are still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.

Three pathologists who conducted post-mortem examinations were unable to reach a firm conclusion on how Mr Williams died, because his body had significantly decomposed.

But they said poisoning and asphyxiation are the foremost contenders as the cause of death.

After the inquest, MI6 chief Sir John Sawers apologised "unreservedly" to Mr Williams' family for its "failure to act more swiftly" in reporting his disappearance.

Code-breaker Mr Williams was on secondment to MI6 from the government's listening service GCHQ in Cheltenham when he died.

BBC : MI6 officer death: Gareth Williams mystery to endure

MI6 officer death: Gareth Williams mystery to endure

By Gordon Corera, Security correspondent, BBC News | May 2, 2012

Despite a 21-month police investigation and an inquest, the coroner examining the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a bag in his London flat in 2010, says it is never likely to be properly explained.

Mr Williams' entire working life was encompassed by secrecy. And his death has shed an unusually bright - sometimes harsh - light on parts of the secret service, as questions have been raised about any link to his work.

Mr Williams, who was 31 and from Anglesey, worked in a small office in MI6 headquarters, in Vauxhall Cross, London.

His role was to find ways of using the latest technology for covert intelligence collection - something he specialised in at GCHQ before being seconded to MI6.

In the past, MI6, which handles human agents or sources with intelligence, had worked largely separately from GCHQ, which deals with electronic communications. But in recent years the two organisations have moved closer.

Mr Williams was at the cutting edge of that increasingly important collaboration.

The technical wizardry Mr Williams worked on is one of the most secretive aspects of intelligence work and many details were out of bounds for the inquest on the basis of national security.

This sometimes led to intriguing but incomplete insights - a reference to Mr Williams using a different name was ended quickly.

But the senior witness from MI6 did try to clear up one issue - "[Mr Williams'] work… did not involve dressing in women's clothing," she explained in reference to the £20,000 of women's clothing found in his flat.

Mr Williams had originally joined GCHQ in 1999. He had a PhD aged 21 and was considered something of a "prodigy".

As his career progressed, he shifted from theoretical problem-solving towards the front line of intelligence collection.

No concerns over Mr Williams' private life were picked up in his original vetting by GCHQ or when it was reviewed by MI6. He was assessed as a very low risk.

GCHQ colleagues recalled a young man who was friendly, with a keen sense of humour and generally happy. GCHQ has tended to be a place where specialist skills and unusual people are valued.

But he was less content at MI6 - even though it was a secondment he had wanted, having reapplied after initially being turned down. His line manager (who gave evidence anonymously as Witness G) said he thought Mr Williams was an "introvert", although he acknowledged that Mr Williams was very good at the technical aspects of the job.

In early April 2010, Mr Williams asked to terminate his secondment early - an unusual move.

"He disliked the office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office," his sister told the inquest.

"The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

Mr Williams' planned return to GCHQ in Cheltenham - due to happen two weeks after he died in August 2010 - had made him happier and more relaxed, colleagues said.

But was Mr Williams' work linked to his death? MI6 officials testified that there was no evidence to support that view. The lawyer for his family suggested otherwise.

Much of the evidence depended on interpretation and was open to competing views.

He did conduct a small number of searches of the MI6 database that did not appear to have any clear operational justification. The senior MI6 witness acknowledged this opened up a "theoretical possibility" that if a hostile party had learnt about this (or presumably some aspect of his private life) then this could have been used to put pressure on him.

However, officials said there was no evidence that either Mr Williams or any of his actions had come to the attention of any such agency or that they posed a threat to him.

Other aspects of the case fuelled suspicions. Why did his line manager fail to report Mr Williams missing for an entire week - even after he had missed a series of appointments and meetings?

The senior MI6 witness acknowledged that things went wrong and policies were not followed.

He said MI6 was "profoundly sorry" for the delay, which upset Mr Williams' family and affected the police investigation.

It meant Mr Williams' body had decomposed so much by the time it was found that it became significantly harder for pathologists to establish the cause of death.

The lack of significant DNA at the scene led lawyers acting for Mr Williams' family to suggest another person was present at the flat when he died and that this other person "was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services" or "evidence has been removed… by experts in dark arts".

That may provide one explanation but no clear motive emerged.

Mr Williams' office was another scene about which questions were raised.

The police officer in charge of the investigation only learnt about nine memory sticks found at MI6 during the inquest and the coroner questioned the impartiality of a vetted police officer who liaised with MI6.

Questions were also asked about whether electronic material had been properly secured at MI6 to prevent interference.

Those details, which could be explained by sloppiness, will do little to dispel the view held in some quarters that MI6 was not fully transparent and, in turn, the theory that it was somehow involved in the death or cleaned up.

The senior MI6 representative told the inquest that none of the service's officers had secretly visited Mr Williams' flat and that there had not been a cover-up.

But, even if it was his private life that led to Mr Williams' death, his life in the secret world will continue to add to the mystery that surrounds this case.

BBC : MI6 officer Gareth Williams and the 'missing hours' before his death

MI6 officer Gareth Williams and the 'missing hours' before his death

By Danny Shaw | Home affairs correspondent, BBC News | May 2, 2012

Just after 15:00 BST on Sunday 15 August 2010, a young man strolled into Alderney Street in Pimlico clutching two carrier bags.

CCTV shows the slim, wiry figure, in chinos and a red T-shirt, heading towards a block of flats at number 36.

It was the last time Gareth Williams was seen alive.

What happened in the next 19 hours, before the time Gareth was expected at his desk at the headquarters of MI6, holds the key to his death.

But there is little that is known with any certainty about those mysterious, missing hours.

Evidence heard at the inquest suggests that during the evening, Gareth cooked one of the two peppered grill-steaks he had bought from Waitrose that day, and had it for his supper.

There are also indications that at 23:30 BST he backed up data to a laptop from one of his phones, before viewing a cycling website at about 01:00 BST.

However, even these details cannot be confirmed - as it is possible someone else may have been using his phone and computer.

Like much of the case, speculation fills the void of those missing hours. In a way it is entirely in keeping with the strange and secretive life that Gareth Williams led.

'Somewhat naive'

To his friends, colleagues and family Gareth was an exceptionally gifted and hard-working young man whose spare time was spent on outdoor pursuits - rock-climbing, fell-running and cycling.

He also loved art, fashion, good food and shopping - Harvey Nichols and Harrods were just two of the stores he had visited that weekend.

But Gareth did not get close to many people. His former landlady in Cheltenham, Jennifer Elliot, described him as a "private person" who "kept himself to himself" and rarely had visitors.

Cheryl Eastap, who ran a 10-week fashion course at Central St Martin's College, in London, said that Gareth attended without his friends knowing, and that he was a "loner" who was very nervous and kept apologising.

"I considered him to be naive somewhat", she said in a statement read to the inquest, "not worldly or streetwise."

'Scruprulous risk assessor'

It is an interesting description that perhaps should have received closer scrutiny at the hearing than it did.

Did Gareth get himself into a situation in his private life where he was out of his depth? If so, what could it have been?

Although Gareth's sister, Ceri Subbe, said he was the "most scrupulous risk assessor" she had ever known, he had interests that his sister - to whom he was arguably closer than anyone else - did not know about, and which may have posed considerable risks.

One of his interests was in bondage. It may have been no more than curiosity that drew Gareth to view bondage websites, but the evidence is, that on one occasion at least, he took his interests to another level.

In 2007, Jennifer Elliot was woken in the middle of the night by Gareth's cries for help. The Cheltenham landlady and her husband found him in his boxer shorts, lying on his bed, his hands tied to the knobs of the headboard.

"He just said 'I just wanted to see if I could get myself free'," said Mrs Elliot in a statement.

She and her husband thought the escapade was a sexual act rather than an attempt at escapology, and Gareth promised his landlady it would not happen again.

But within two years he was in London, which would have afforded him greater opportunities to experiment if he had wanted.

Nothing has been discovered so far to suggest that Gareth did meet anyone in the capital who shared such interests, let alone invite them back to his flat.

But secrecy was the MI6 officer's trade. If he had wanted to keep something hidden in his private life, he would have surely found a way.

London certainly did provide Gareth Williams with the chance to indulge his love of women's fashion.

It might even be called an obsession. He had accumulated a collection of designer clothes and footwear worth around £20,000.

Identity crisis

Neither his closest friend, Sian Jones, a fashion stylist, nor Elizabeth Guthrie, with whom he was planning to attend a fancy dress ball, knew about the dresses and shoes.

That is perhaps more significant than the collection itself. It is another illustration of Gareth's secretive nature and suggests a hinterland of which no-one else was aware.

What else was hidden away? Gareth surely never intended that a video of him naked but for a pair of boots, bending down and wiggling his hips in front of a camera, would be found by a policeman and referred to in a courtroom. So who was it intended for?

Police investigators have tried to find out.

Almost 18 months ago, they appealed for information to confirm sightings of Gareth Williams at a gay bar in the Vauxhall area.

He had tickets for drag shows in the area and had previously gone to see Jonny Woo - a drag cabaret act - in east London.

But detectives appear to have made little progress tracking down anyone he met or with whom he was romantically involved.

What does appear clear, however, is that Gareth was to some extent struggling with his identity.

The wigs found in his flat, as well as the female clothing and shoes, may well be one sign. Another clue is provided by a newspaper clipping, found under a book on his living room table.

The cutting, from an Observer article, listed the "Top five regrets of the dying". Among them was having the courage to "live a life true to myself", "express my feelings" and "let myself be happier".

Those last unexplained hours of Gareth Williams' life were probably not happy ones. But the details of what went on remain as puzzling as the man himself.

Gareth Williams: What the evidence tells us

INJURIES: Nine days passed between the death of Gareth Williams and his post-mortem examination. His body had become badly decomposed, making the work of pathologists and toxicologists difficult. Dr Benjamin Swift only found small injuries on Mr Williams, which could have been the result of accidents. He noted that poison or asphyxiation were the most likely causes of death. Toxicologists said some substances, such as cyanide, chloroform and anaesthetic agents, would not have been detectible.

THE LOCKED BAG RIDDLE: One key question before the inquest was whether Mr Williams had locked himself in the bag. Expert witness Peter Faulding, shown above, said that he had tried and failed to lock the bag from inside 300 times. "I couldn't say it's impossible, but I think even Houdini would have struggled with this one," he said. William MacKay, another expert witness, said that he and an assistant had failed in more than 100 attempts to lock the bag from inside - but couldn’t rule out that Mr Williams had been able to.

INSIDE THE BAG: Did Mr Williams die inside the bag? Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said: "The balance of probability is that Gareth was alive when he got in the bag.” He added: "I think there could have been a period of awareness that he needed to get out. The length of time might have been short." But Mr Faulding said he believed that Mr Williams was dead or unconscious before being placed in the bag. He suggested it would have been possible to shut Mr Williams in the holdall as long as rigor mortis had not set in.

WEBSITES AND SMARTPHONES: As part of the inquest, Mr Williams's computers and phones were examined. Detectives said the computers had been used to visit bondage websites. But, the inquest heard, this did not necessarily suggest an ongoing interest in such sites. Mr Williams's phones also had bondage websites in their browser history, while a smartphone found on a table contained no data because its factory settings had been restored.

WOMEN'S CLOTHES: Shoes and women’s designer clothing valued at £20,000 were found in the flat. Detectives also said that about half of the internet use on Mr Williams's computers had been in the area of women's high fashion, including handbags, cosmetics, belts and gloves. Friends and family members said they did not believe the clothes were for Mr Williams, but were probably intended as gifts. Friend Elizabeth Guthrie told the inquest Mr Williams had no interest in cross-dressing and she believed he was "straight".

BBC : MI6 failed to hand police dead spy Gareth Williams' belongings

MI6 failed to hand police dead spy Gareth Williams' belongings

May 1, 2012

MI6 failed to pass police a lot of Gareth Williams' belongings during the probe into his death, an inquest heard.

Officers discovered on Monday that MI6 withheld computer memory sticks found in his office and a North Face bag similar to the one he was found in.

Secret services also searched his "electronic media" without informing police, a leading detective said.

The body of the 31-year-old code-breaker from Anglesey was found locked in a bag in his London flat in 2010.

Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire, who is leading the investigation, told Westminster Coroner's Court that she "would have expected to have been told" about the belongings in 2010.

"What I knew was that Gareth's email accounts had been checked, but I did not know that other media had been checked," Ms Sebire said.

She added that she was not surprised that Mr Williams had left memory sticks at his office, "given his line of work".

Scotland Yard's Det Const Colin Hall, of the counter-terror SO15 branch, was questioned about his search of Mr Williams' MI6 office on 26 August 2010, saying he did not seize computer memory sticks because he was told they contained material "of a sensitive nature".

Asked why he had failed to seize a black North Face bag discovered under the spy's desk, Mr Hall said: "I was told there was nothing there about Gareth's death."

"The bag was looked through and searched but nothing was seized... it contained work related items, it contained personal items."

Mr Hall was accused by the barrister for the Williams' family of failing to take the task as seriously as he should have done because the work was linked to the secret services.

But Mr Hall said that his team "had not completed our search" of the Vauxhall HQ because it was called off on the orders of senior detectives.

"I will do what I'm told," said he added.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox ordered Mr Hall to re-examine the missed evidence of the black bag in front of the courtroom.

Det Supt Michael Broster of the counter-terror SO15 branch was recalled later to give further evidence about the search of Mr Williams' office.

'Neglected'

Mr Broster told the inquiry he may have "neglected" to tell exhibit officer Det Const Hall to log details of a seized work phone and that, in hindsight, his team should have examined the memory sticks instead of passing them to MI6.

He also said he had not checked if a set of keys found in Mr Williams' work locker fitted his flat, but accepted they were for the office, as he was told by MI6.

Mr Broster insisted he had taken what he believed was relevant material, and that he had acted impartially.

The inquest into the death of Mr Williams is hearing a final round-up of evidence from the case, following a 21-month police investigation. A verdict is expected on Wednesday.

His body was found naked in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, central London.

Three pathologists who conducted post-mortem examinations gave evidence at Westminster Coroner's Court, have been unable to reach a firm conclusion on how Mr Williams died.

But they said poisoning and asphyxiation are the foremost contenders as the cause of death.

The inquest will hear again from the forensic scientist Ros Hammond, as well as a new witness from MI6 known as Witness D.

BBC : MI6 officer inquest hears claim of third party role

MI6 officer inquest hears claim of third party role

April 27, 2012

A third party must have been involved in putting MI6 officer Gareth Williams in the padlocked bag in which his body was found, an expert witness believes.

Peter Faulding told Mr Williams's inquest he would have been dead within 30 minutes of being put in the holdall.

The body of Mr Williams, from Anglesey, was found in his London flat in 2010.

The inquest was shown footage of two experts' attempts in which they struggled to lock themselves in a bag - but neither ruled it out completely.

These tests have addressed the crucial question of whether Mr Williams, 31, could have locked himself in the holdall in his bath or if another person must have been involved.

Footage played at Westminster Coroner's Court showed Mr Faulding trying to get into the bag in an empty bath.

Mr Faulding said that he had tried and failed to lock the bag from inside 300 times.

"I couldn't say it's impossible, but I think even Houdini would have struggled with this one," he said.

"My conclusion is that Mr Williams was either placed in the bag unconscious, or he was dead before he was in the bag."

Mr Faulding added that he had really struggled to get himself in the bag in the first place, and had had his feet resting on the bath and tiles, and his hands on the side.

He told the court that Mr Williams could not have got into the bag unaided without leaving marks and footprints, none of which were found at the scene in the flat in Pimlico.

But William MacKay, who said his military career made him adept at working in confined spaces, told the inquest that locking the bag was a skill that would have required training but that once a person had done it, they could not get out.

Mr MacKay and an assistant failed in 100 attempts to lock the bag from inside, and caused damage to the zip.

But he would not rule out that it was possible, adding: "There are people around who can do amazing things and Mr Williams may well have been one of those persons."

BBC security correspondent Gorden Corera, at the inquest, said: "This leaves the likelihood, which the police say they have believed since the beginning, that someone else was involved."

Computers examined

Later on Friday the inquest heard from Det Con Simon Warren, the police officer who had examined Mr Williams's laptop computers, memory sticks, CDs and DVDs.

He said that no security-sensitive information had been found, and also that there was no evidence files had been amended since Mr Williams's death.

Det Con Warren went on to say that about half of the internet use on the computers had been in the area of women's high fashion, including handbags, cosmetics, belts and gloves.

In December 2010, police revealed that they had found £15,000-worth of unworn women's designer clothing in six boxes at Mr Williams's flat.

Officers also revealed at that time that Mr Williams had visited a drag cabaret in east London four days before his death and had tickets to two more.

Det Con Warren told the inquest that the computers had been used to visit bondage websites, but he said this browsing was isolated and did not suggest an ongoing, active interest.

Det Con Robert Burrows said that Mr Williams's phones also had bondage websites in their browsing history, while a smartphone found on a table contained no data because the factory settings had been restored.

Following the conclusion of evidence for the day, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox indicated that she might deliver her verdict next Wednesday.

Mr Williams has previously been described as a "world class intelligence officer" by his former boss at the government listening agency GCHQ.

At the time he was found dead he had been on a three-year secondment with MI6 in London and wanted to return to his role at GCHQ, the inquest has heard.

BBC : Landlady found MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'tied to bed'

Landlady found MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'tied to bed'

Gareth Williams Gareth Williams was on secondment from GCHQ

April 25, 2012

The inquest into the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a locked bag in his London flat on 23 August 2010, has been told he was once found tied to his bed.

His former landlady said the spy, dressed in boxer shorts, called for help when he could not untie himself.

Earlier, Det Supt Michael Broster told the coroner he did not think Mr Williams' death was linked to his work.

Mr Williams' boss at MI6 said he regretted not raising the alarm sooner.

Former intelligence agency colleagues gave evidence from behind a large blue screen, to protect their identities.

Mr Williams' line manager at MI6 - known as Witness G - told coroner Fiona Wilcox that Mr Williams' had performed some operational duties for the agency, and had never missed a day's work.

When pressed on why he did not report Mr Williams' disappearance sooner, Witness G said he thought the spy was stuck on a train: "In hindsight, knowing what I know now, should I have taken action? Absolutely."

Witness G said Mr Williams wanted to leave MI6 because he was getting bogged down in bureaucracy.

'Act of escapology'

In a statement read out earlier, Mr Williams' former landlady in Cheltenham said she once found him lying in his boxer shorts tied to his bedstead, in what she thought was a "sexually motivated" act.

Jennifer Elliot said he had shouted for help because he was unable to untie himself.

She said he claimed he wanted to see if he could free himself, but both she and her husband thought it was sexually motivated rather than an act of escapology.

He had been lying on his back with both hands and arms tied and was "very embarrassed and apologetic" after being cut free.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Det Supt Broster, from the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism command SO15, said he believed there was "no link this far detected" between Mr Williams's work with MI6 and his death.

Computers seized

Explaining the part SO15 played, he said officers had acted as a "conduit" between the different security services.

But he denied a suggestion that the close working relationship between his unit and the intelligence agencies amounted to "an old boys' act" which had disrupted the investigation.

SO15 carried out searches and interviews at MI6 and the government's secret listening station GCHQ, and arranged for DNA samples from Mr Williams's colleagues to be taken.

Det Supt Broster said the heads of the agencies provided the investigation with all the relevant information surrounding Mr Williams's work.

The spy's computers were seized from MI6 four days after his body was found, and then six days later from GCHQ.

Det Supt Broster told the coroner there was "no reason to suspect" evidence was interfered with at MI6 headquarters.

"I can't say absolutely that electronic equipment seized from MI6 wasn't interfered with, but I have no reason to suspect it was."

Scotland Yard detectives have yet to determine the cause of Mr Williams's death, or establish whether he had locked himself into the bag.

On Tuesday, Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire said she believed a third party had been involved, after "two minor components of another contributor's DNA" were found on the zip toggle and padlock.

Earlier, Elizabeth Guthrie - the second friend to appear before the coroner - said Mr Williams had used another name and called her from different telephone numbers.

'Enormous intellect'

"It was different numbers coming in and calling me that turned out to be Gareth's voice," she added.

She described her friendship with Mr Williams as based on their mutual love of history, art, Japanese Manga cartoons, travel and humorous anecdotes.

Speaking of Mr Williams's character, Ms Guthrie said he had "a brilliant sense of humour" and "an enormous intellect".

About £20,000 worth of women's designer clothing and shoes were found in the flat.

Ms Guthrie told the inquest the clothing "certainly would not be for him", that he had no interest in cross-dressing and she believed he was "straight".

Mr Williams's sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest on Monday that she believed the items of women's clothing were possibly intended as gifts.

In another written statement, a worker from west London fashion store Dover Street Market remembered him coming in regularly to buy women's items he said were for his girlfriend.

Carol Kirton said he had never mentioned his girlfriend's name and "he was different from other male customers".

BBC : Gareth Williams MI6 death: Inquiry is active, say Met

Gareth Williams MI6 death: Inquiry is active, say Met
[and here]

August 23, 2011

Metropolitan Police say they are still investigating the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, a year after his body was found locked in a bag in his bath.

Mr Williams, 31, originally from Holyhead, Anglesey, was discovered at his central London flat a year ago.

Mystery still surrounds the death, and detectives have said that the key lay in his private life.

A police spokesman said the inquiry into the code-breaker's death was "still an active investigation".

The Westminster coroner's office said: "No date has yet been arranged for the inquest into his death."

A spokesman added: "The coroner is still awaiting the completion of the necessary paperwork".

Gifted mathematician

Mr Williams, a gifted mathematician who was a pupil at Bodedern secondary school, graduated with a first class degree in maths at just 17.

His parents, Ian and Ellen, live in Valley, Anglesey, while his father works at Wylfa nuclear power station. His grandmother and grandfather lived in Holyhead.

Mr Williams began work at the Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham before being seconded to MI6.

His disappearance last August was reported by colleagues who said they had not seen him for some time.

When officers broke into his flat they found Mr Williams' body in a sports bag, as well as his mobile phone and several SIM cards.

The authorities played down any speculation that his death was linked to his line of work at MI6.

A post-mortem examination was unable to provide a cause of death and further tests are to take place.

A couple sought in connection with the death of an MI6 officer may never be traced, police have conceded.

Gareth Williams, 31, from Holyhead on Anglesey, north Wales, was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his central London flat in August.

The death remains suspicious and unexplained with no cause found.

Police have released e-fit images of a couple of Mediterranean appearance seen at his flats before he died, but the coroner has been told they would be unlikely to be traced.

Twelve months on Mr Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained with no cause found.

After his body was found police revealed Mr Williams had £15,000 of designer women's clothes in his flat. Press speculation centred on him dying during what some newspapers called a "bizarre sex game gone wrong".

But last April Mr Williams' close friend Sian Lloyd-Jones urged police to broaden their inquiry, denying speculation he was gay or a cross-dresser.

BBC : VIDEO: Questions over MI6 worker Gareth Williams' death

Questions over MI6 worker Gareth Williams' death

BBC | April 5, 2011

Fresh questions are being asked about the police investigation into the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams.

The body of Mr Williams, from Holyhead, Anglesey, was found in a locked bag in a bath at his London falt last August.

Police revealed he had £15,000 of designer women's clothes in the flat but close friend Sian Lloyd-Jones denies speculation Mr Williams was gay and wants police to broaden their inquiry.

Iolo ap Dafydd reports.

VIDEO including Sian Lloyd-Jones and Crispin Black at the link

BBC : Gareth Williams MI6 death: police inquiry questioned

Gareth Williams MI6 death: police inquiry questioned

By Iolo ap Dafydd | BBC Wales correspondent | April 5, 2011

A close friend of MI6 worker Gareth Williams whose body was found in a locked bag in a bath has questioned suggestions his death was linked to his private life.

The body of the code-breaker, from Holyhead on Anglesey, was found in his London flat in August.

Police revealed he had £15,000 of designer women's clothes in the flat.

But Sian Lloyd-Jones denies speculation he was gay and wants police to broaden their inquiry.

Detectives say the key to the mystery lies in Mr Williams' private life.

Press speculation has centred on him dying during a "bizarre sex game gone wrong".

That speculation was fuelled last December when police revealed Mr Williams had the women's clothes and that he had visited a drag show at a cabaret club; that he was allegedly seen at a gay bar; and that had "limited" access to bondage sites on his mobile.

But an investigation by BBC Wales raises questions about the police investigation, and asks if the key to his death really does lie in his private life.

His close friend Sian Lloyd-Jones, told Week In Week Out: "I think it's really important here for everything to be investigated - absolutely everything. I think it's about time now that the investigation is broadened.

"I feel the police did wrong around Christmas time when they released information about the clothing, but didn't reveal that there was £10,000 of mountaineering equipment as well."

Ms Lloyd-Jones denies suggestions Mr Williams was gay or a cross-dresser, saying the women's clothes were too small for him, and were probably intended for her, or his sister, Ceri.

"The things that have been in the papers have been so hurtful. To read what has been written about him has completely broken my heart, and I know it would have broken Gareth's as well," she said.

Police still don't know how Mr Williams died, and are calling his death "unexplained and suspicious".

But Crispin Black, an intelligence analyst and former advisor to the government, says the most likely explanation is that Mr Williams was murdered.

"The thing has a professional air: it's neat, it's tidy, it's organised," he said.

"A bath is where you put things if you don't want any forensic residue to be left behind. Because you know where the body's been and you can clear up after it."

Mr Black also questions the ability of the investigating police to do their job properly.

Murder squad detectives have to interview Mr Williams's former colleagues at the Secret Intelligence Service (also known as MI6) and GCHQ, the agency in Cheltenham which provides intelligence and information for the government through another team of officers from counter-terrorism.

"One of the weaknesses of the investigation, is the murder squad are interviewing friends, or colleagues, at one remove," said Mr Black.

"Interrogation, even of completely innocent people, relies on nuance, checking the story over and over again, and eye contact.

"That's how policemen decide if you're telling the truth, or not. Even if interviewing colleagues to rule them out, it should be done by the people in charge of the investigation - not somebody else,."

Week In Week Out has also uncovered new information relating to a mystery couple detectives want to find.

Police are still trying to trace a couple of "Mediterranean appearance" who visited Mr Williams' London flat a month or two before his death and had a key to the property.

The Metropolitan Police wasn't prepared to discuss that but insists it's looked into all aspects of his life, and has received full co-operation from the intelligence agencies.

As yet there's still no date set for an inquest, when the full circumstances of Gareth Williams death may eventually be explained.

BBC : Week In Week Out: Death of a Welsh Spy

Week In Week Out: Death of a Welsh Spy

Welsh spy Gareth Williams's naked body was found in a locked bag in a bath. Police still don't know how, or why, he died. One of his closest friends speaks exclusively to the programme, and sheds more light on the mathematician from Anglesey.

Credits

Reporter : Iolo Dafydd
Producer : Andy Maguire

Broadcast

Tue 5 Apr 2011 22:35 BBC One (Wales only)

BBC : MI6 officer Gareth Williams death: couple 'untraceable'

BBC main: MI6 officer Gareth Williams death: couple 'untraceable'
BBC mobile: MI6 officer Gareth Williams death: couple 'untraceable'

February 15, 2011

A couple sought in connection with the death of an MI6 officer may never be traced, police have conceded.

Gareth Williams, 31, from Holyhead on Anglesey, north Wales, was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his central London flat in August.

The death remains suspicious and unexplained with no cause found.

Westminster Coroner's Court heard it was unlikely that a Mediterranean couple seen at his flats before he died would be traced.

Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire also disclosed that more forensic tests were being carried out.

Some 40 officers working for the intelligence services have been now interviewed by detectives investigating the death.

They have been questioned by Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command - even though the inquiry is being led by a separate team specialising in homicide.

The inquest was adjourned until 31 March.

Mr Williams, a gifted mathematician, graduated with a first class degree in maths at just 17.

He began work at the Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham before being seconded to MI6.

BBC : Dead MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'visited bondage websites'

Dead MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'visited bondage websites'

December 22, 2010

An MI6 spy found dead in a padlocked holdall in his central London flat had accessed bondage websites several times, police have revealed.

Gareth Williams, 31, from Holyhead on Anglesey, had also visited a drag show and owned £15,000 worth of women's designer clothing, detectives said.

Mr Williams' naked body was found at his Pimlico flat in August.

Police believe other people helped the MI6 codebreaker to get into the holdall and want to speak to them.

Officers have released e-fit images of a couple who they said visited Mr Williams' Alderney Street home in June or July.

The Met said disclosure of "embarrassing, hurtful and distressing" details was necessary to get some information as detectives believe "someone else was in the flat".

Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire said: "We know he was intensely private, and however difficult this might be for someone who has had any interaction with Gareth, it would really help us if they came forward so we know if that side of his life had any relevance to his death.

"If he was alive, he got into it voluntarily or, if not, he was unconscious and placed in the bag," she added.

Police revealed Mr Williams viewed websites showing people bound and tied, which included do-it-yourself guides.

The two e-fit images issued by police show a casually-dressed couple of Mediterranean appearance, thought to be in their 20s, who were buzzed through the communal entrance of his home by another resident in late June or July.

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.

No evidence of drugs, alcohol or poisons were found during a series of tests conducted by toxicologists.

Det Ch Insp Sebire revealed police had 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 holdall in which Mr Williams was found, concluded he could not have locked it.

The keys were found inside the bag.

She said experts had said the temperature inside the bag would have risen to 30C (80F) within three minutes and he would have suffocated inside half-an-hour.

Fashion design courses

The detective added Mr Williams probably died in the early hours of 16 August, a week before he was found.

He had a collection of six boxes of unworn designer clothing in a wardrobe, she said.

Mrs Sebire said Mr Williams attended two fashion design courses at Central St Martins College in 2009 and 2010, and said the items could have been related to those diploma courses.

The detective said although a witness had reported seeing Mr Williams in a gay bar, police do not know for certain he was gay.

She said Mr Williams occasionally spent between 30 minutes and an hour on bondage sites, but added there was no evidence that he was "obsessed" with bondage and no other pornography was found.

Police also revealed that the spy visited a drag cabaret in east London four days before his death and held tickets to two more.

Det Ch Supt Hamish Campbell said investigators were sure someone else involved with the bondage or gay scene had "linked in" with Mr Williams but police "cannot find that trace".

The death remains suspicious and unexplained and no conclusive cause has been found.

An inquest will be held at Westminster Coroner's Court on 15 February.

Police have asked anyone with information to call the incident room in Hendon on 020 8358 0200. If the caller wants to remain anonymous, he or she could contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

BBC : Talented MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'never spoke of work'

Talented MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'never spoke of work'

December 22, 2010

An MI6 spy who was found dead in his central London flat was a talented young man who was close to his family, but would never speak to them about his work.

Gareth Williams, 31, from Holyhead on Anglesey, north Wales, was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his central London flat in August.

The death remains suspicious and unexplained with no conclusive cause found.

Mr Williams regularly went home to north Wales to visit his family.

His parents, Ian and Ellen, live in Valley, Anglesey, while his father works at Wylfa nuclear power station. His grandmother and grandfather lived in Holyhead.

His uncle, William Hughes, said his nephew had never spoken about his work.

"He was very, very talented," he added.

"He would never talk about his work and the family knew not to ask really."

Mr Williams' academic talent was evident at an early age, when he was a pupil at Bodedern Secondary School in Anglesey.

His maths teacher Geraint Williams said he had been an "exceptional" pupil.

'Very modest'

"He was probably not the best mathematician I have seen, but the best logician," he said.

"If you explained something once, he remembered it, you didn't have to explain it again."

While he was a secondary school pupil, Mr Williams was also being coached at Bangor University and graduated with a first class degree in maths at just 17.

In 2000, he took a postgraduate certificate in mathematics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

He was then offered a job at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he was very interested in codes and ciphers," Geraint Williams said.

"It didn't really surprise me that he was recruited by GCHQ."

Mr Williams worked as a communication officer at GCHQ before being sent on secondment to MI6 for a year.

The head of MI6 Sir John Sawers described Mr Williams as a "highly talented person" who was "very modest and generous as well".

He added that Mr Williams had done "really valuable work with us in the cause of national security".

Mr Williams grew up as a keen cyclist and joined Holyhead Cycling Club when he was 17.

Keith Thompson, from the club, said: "He was a really lovely young man.

"We were club mates but Gareth wasn't the sort to go to the pub after a race, so he didn't have any close friends in the group.

"It was his cycling that we knew about. He was known for being very good on hill races but a couple of times he won the club's 'best all-rounder' award."

An inquest will be held at Westminster Coroner's Court on 15 February.

BBC: MI6 man Gareth Williams's cause of death still unknown

MI6 man Gareth Williams's cause of death still unknown

October 28, 2010

Tests on the body of an MI6 worker found naked in a holdall in a London flat have failed to establish how he died, Scotland Yard has said.

Gareth Williams, 30, from Holyhead on Anglesey, was found dead in the bathroom of his Pimlico flat in August.

Police said all tests on the body for drugs, alcohol and poisons had proved negative. No further tests are planned.

Mr Williams, a mathematician, worked at the government's GCHQ listening post. He was on secondment to MI6.

He may have been dead two weeks before he was found, the Metropolitan Police said.

A Met 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 inquiries continue to try and establish a formal cause of death.

'Complete mystery'

"Mr Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained and inquiries into the circumstances continue."

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said: "His cause of death remains a complete mystery.

"In an investigation like this you never quite know what the police have got to go on they are not telling you about.

"There are strong suggestions his laptop is missing so possibly it may link to his work."

The case will be reviewed in private by coroner Dr Paul Knapman on Wednesday.

An inquest was opened on 1 September.

Mr Williams graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University at just 17.

In 2000, he took a postgraduate certificate in mathematics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, before beginning work at GCHQ.

Officers who entered the flat where his body was found discovered a mobile phone and several mobile phone Sim cards laid out.

It is not known what work he was doing for MI6.

BBC : Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

September 6, 2010

Police investigating the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams have appealed for help in tracing two people seen entering his central London flat.

Mr Williams' naked body was found in a bag in the bathroom of his Pimlico home by police on 23 August.

Detectives want to speak to a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, who called at the 30-year-old's home in June or July.

CCTV images of Mr Williams, captured on 14 and 15 August, have been released.

Officers said Mr Williams, from Anglesey, was found unclothed, in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall, which was in an empty bath in the ensuite bathroom.

Complex death

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said there had been no forced entry into the flat, adding: "We do not believe there is any property missing.

"There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed. No drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered."

Scotland Yard said no trace of alcohol, routine or recreational drugs were found following tests on the body of Mr Williams.

Det Ch Insp Jacqueline Sebire said: "This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry.

"I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us."

Detectives have released CCTV images of the 30-year-old entering Holland Park Underground station at about 1500 BST on 14 August.

Since returning from a planned holiday in the US on 11 August, he went shopping "on a number of occasions" in the West End and Knightsbridge areas", police said.

He also went into Harrods on 15 August, after visiting a cash machine, and then, at about 1430 BST, he was seen on CCTV images in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store.

BBC : Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

September 1, 2010

The body of an MI6 employee found at his flat was padlocked into a sports bag, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Williams, 30, originally from Anglesey, was discovered dead in the bath at his home in Pimlico, west London, on 23 August.

A post-mortem examination was unable to establish how Mr Williams died.

At the opening of the inquest into his death at Westminster Coroner's Court, the coroner revealed the body was locked inside a sports holdall.

Dr Paul Knapman told the hearing that the information he had from the police was that Mr Williams' body was in a large holdall in the bath of an en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

The hearing was told that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.

The inquest has been adjourned.

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said details of the padlock "clearly indicates someone else was involved" in the incident.

'Maths genius'

The body was discovered when officers broke into the Alderney Street flat after colleagues said Mr Williams had not been seen for at least 10 days.

Police are treating the death as "suspicious and unexplained".

Toxicological tests are being carried out to ascertain whether Mr Williams - described as a "maths genius" - had traces of drugs or alcohol in his system.

On Saturday police warned it could be several days before the tests, which also hope to detect signs of asphyxiation or poisoning, are concluded.

'Very private person'

Mr Williams is believed to have lain undiscovered for a lengthy period, with the last confirmed sighting of him alive on 15 August.

His family has issued a statement which said: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother, and friend, and he was a very private person.

"He was a great athlete, and loved music.

"His loss has devastated us and we would ask that anyone with information come forward and assist the police enquiry."

Mr Williams, a keen cyclist, graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University aged 17.

He worked at the government listening post GCHQ in Cheltenham and was on secondment to MI6's headquarters on the bank of the Thames in London.

BBC : Tests on dead MI6 man Gareth Williams 'to take days'

Tests on dead MI6 man Gareth Williams 'to take days'

August 28, 2010

Investigators are several days from discovering what killed an MI6 worker found dead in his London flat, police have said.

Gareth Williams, 30, from Anglesey, was found in a holdall in the bath of his home in Pimlico on Monday.

A post-mortem examination was inconclusive, and complex tests could carry on into late next week.

Officers are trying to find out whether Mr Williams was asphyxiated or poisoned and if he had taken drugs or alcohol.

Police have said that Mr Williams was in London from 11 August and that the last sighting of him was on 15 August.

They have refused to confirm the nature of the sighting.

Mr Williams' family has issued a statement which said: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother, and friend, and he was a very private person.

"He was a great athlete, and loved cycling and music. His loss has devastated us and we would ask that anyone with information come forward and assist the police enquiry."

The Metropolitan Police has not classified his death as murder but is treating it as "suspicious and unexplained".

Mr Williams, a keen cyclist, was on secondment to MI6 from his communications officer's role at GCHQ.

A brilliant mathematician, he graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University aged 17.

BBC : More tests due on body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

More tests due on body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

August 26, 2010

Further tests are to be carried out on the body of an MI6 worker found in a holdall in the bath at his central London flat.

The body of Gareth Williams, 30, from Anglesey, was found in the Pimlico flat on Monday afternoon. Police believe he may have been murdered two weeks ago.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Wednesday proved inconclusive.

The Metropolitan Police said more tests, including toxicological analysis of his blood, would be conducted.

The force is treating the death as "suspicious and unexplained".

The body was discovered when officers broke into the flat in Alderney Street after colleagues said Mr Williams had not been seen for at least 10 days.

Officers went to the flat after attempts by the Foreign Office to locate him via his former landlady failed.

'Peculiarly memorable laugh'

The post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist failed to determine a cause of death, although it is believed he had not been stabbed.

Originally from Holyhead, north Wales, Mr Williams was on secondment to MI6 from his job as a communications officer at the GCHQ "listening post" in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

A "maths genius", Mr Williams graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University aged 17.

Secondary school maths teacher Geraint Williams said of his former pupil: "He was probably not the best mathematician I have seen, but the best logician."

Fellow cyclists have also paid tribute to Mr Williams, who often took part in road races and time trials.

One wrote on an internet forum: "People sometimes thought he was dense because he spoke rather slowly and sometimes seemed distracted. How wrong can you get?

"A pretty quick junior, and a very nice quietly-spoken young man."

A cyclist at Cambridge University's bicycle club, where Mr Williams was the "star rider", said: "He seemed a shy chap, but had a peculiarly memorable laugh and smile that are haunting me somewhat today."

Personal life

Officers who entered the Pimlico flat, which is about half a mile from the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) on the banks of the Thames, discovered a mobile phone and several mobile phone Sim cards laid out.

On Wednesday, Mr Williams' uncle, William Hughes, told BBC News that his nephew never spoke about his work but he said he was "very, very talented".

Mr Williams' father Ian, who works at Wylfa nuclear power station and lives in Valley, Anglesey, went straight to London after being told of the death, with his wife and daughter Ceri, who lives near Wrexham.

The police are understood to be looking into aspects of Mr Williams' personal life.

It is not known what work he was doing for MI6.

After it emerged he had been working for the intelligence services, a spokesman for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which is handling press inquiries for MI6, said: "This is a police matter.

"It is long-standing Her Majesty's Government policy not to confirm or deny any individual working for the intelligence agencies."

BBC : MI6 worker Gareth Williams was an 'exceptional' pupil

MI6 worker Gareth Williams was an 'exceptional' pupil

August 26, 2010

More tributes have been paid to Gareth Williams, the MI6 worker whose body was discovered in a holdall in his London flat.

More tests are being carried out on the body of the 30-year-old from Holyhead on Anglesey after a post mortem proved inconclusive.

Metropolitan Police are treating his death as "suspicious and unexplained".

His maths teacher Geraint Williams said Mr Williams was an "exceptional" pupil.

"He was probably not the best mathematician I have seen, but the best logician.

"If you explained something once to Gareth he remembered it, you didn't have to explain it again," said Mr Williams, a teacher at Bodedern secondary school.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he was very interested in codes and ciphers and it didn't really surprise me that he was recruited by GCHQ.

"He was definitely going to go into something like that with his brain."

Mr Williams graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University at just 17 after beginning his university studies while at secondary school.

The university said in a statement it "was saddened to hear of his death and we extend our condolences to his family and friends at this very difficult time".

In 2000, he took a postgraduate certificate in mathematics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

Mr Williams was on a secondment to the secret intelligence service.

His body was discovered in his top floor flat in Pimlico, London on Monday.

Mr Williams' uncle, William Hughes, said his nephew never spoke about his work but he said he was "very, very talented".

Mr Hughes said: "He would never talk about his work and the family knew not to ask, really."

His father Ian, who works at Wylfa nuclear power station and lives in Valley, Anglesey, went to London after being told of the death, with his wife and daughter Ceri, who lives near Wrexham.

The police are understood to be looking into aspects of Mr Williams' personal life.

Keith Thompson, of Holyhead Cycling Club, said Mr Williams joined the club when he was 17.

He said: "I heard the news in a text message yesterday morning and it was a shock.

"We are totally devastated. He was a really lovely young man.

"Of course, once he moved to Cheltenham he joined the club there and we didn't see much of him."

Mr Thompson said he last saw Mr Williams at their meeting on Boxing Day.

Private life

"We were club mates but Gareth wasn't the sort to go the pub after a race so he didn't have any close friends in the group.

"I never spoke to him about his job or his private life. Nobody did with Gareth.

"It was his cycling that we knew about. He was known for being very good on hill races but a couple of times he won the club's 'best all-rounder' award."

He added they had cancelled a club event on Thursday and would be getting in touch with his family to offer their condolences.