Independent : MI6 officers could face DNA screening

MI6 officers could face DNA screening

Paul Peachey | May 9, 2012

Scotland Yard has ordered a forensic review and raised the possibility of a mass DNA screening of MI6 officers in a renewed effort to discover how the body of the codebreaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked inside a bag in his bath in 2010.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said yesterday that an independent forensic science expert would be brought in to examine the evidence. The private forensics company that is still working on the case had to apologise for a blunder that led investigators down the wrong path for more than a year.

Mr Hogan-Howe also said that the force would change the way it interviewed secret service officials after a senior policeman who acted as a go-between with MI6 failed to pass on key information. Nine memory sticks belonging to Mr Williams, 31, and a bag of the same make in which he was found were handed to police only last week.

Mr Hogan-Howe said it was "unacceptable" that the senior investigating officer (SIO) had not been told about the evidence. "In the future, I expect the SIO to have direct access to all witnesses and evidence without the counter-terrorist squad being in between them."

Independent : Scotland Yard boss Horgan-Howe warns MI6 over spy Gareth Williams death probe

Scotland Yard boss Horgan-Howe warns MI6 over spy Gareth Williams death probe

Tom Morgan | May 8, 2012

Britain's top police officer warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.

An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.

Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.

Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.

But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.

When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law."

He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.

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."

Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.

But he added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.

Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.

Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.

But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.

Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.

PA

Independent : DNA on towel may point to spy's killer

DNA on towel may point to spy's killer

Paul Peachey | May 4, 2012

DNA test results on a towel found in the flat of the spy Gareth Williams are not expected for weeks as Scotland Yard continues to follow-up new lines of inquiry into his death.

Police suspect a member of MI6 or GCHQ was in his flat the day he died and will reportedly take DNA samples from up to 50 of his colleagues to try to discover if anyone else was involved.

The coroner this week said that she was sure another person locked Mr Williams, 31, inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in the bath. Mr Williams, who was security-conscious, was unlikely to let a stranger into his home, the inquest was told.

Experts from LGC, the private laboratory that secured a breakthrough in the case of Stephen Lawrence, are continuing to test a green towel found in the kitchen in the hope that it will yield evidence of another person in his flat. Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the investigation, said the inquest had raised "several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will now refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard".

Independent : Leading article: MI6 has only itself to blame

Leading article: MI6 has only itself to blame

May 3, 2012

After a seven-day inquest, there are, if anything, more unanswered questions about the death of Gareth Williams than there were before. How did a "world-class" spy come to be padlocked in a bag in the bathtub of his London flat? Was he the victim of a sex game gone wrong, or was he killed in connection with his job in the security services?

Despite testimony from 39 witnesses, three pathologists and two experts in confined spaces, coroner Fiona Wilcox could only conclude that, although the balance of probabilities points to an unlawful killing, it is unlikely that the death will ever be explained.

Not only is such a verdict unsatisfactory for Mr Williams's grieving family, it also might have been avoided. And a significant portion of the blame for the confusion must fall on the security services. Serial irregularities in MI6's handling of the matter added needless muddle and mystery to an already complex situation, fuelling a whirlwind of speculation that yesterday's judgment in no way diminishes.

Had Mr Williams's disappearance been noticed earlier, for example, then vital toxicological evidence of poisoning – or not – would not have been lost to the decomposition process. Yet MI6 managers took a whole week to notify the police that one of their staff was missing. Administrative incompetence is, of course, rife in organisations of all kinds. But it must surely be in the nature of the security service's business to keep tabs on employees, and the profound apologies offered to the dead man's family does not mitigate so woeful an oversight.

Neither did the trouble stop there. Having failed so egregiously in the first instance, MI6 might have been expected to work hard to assist the police investigation. Instead, vital evidence was not disclosed, and so piecemeal were the details collected from security service staff that the counter-terrorism officer acting as intermediary was accused of bias. Is it any wonder that there have been squeals of cover-up?

Given his job, Mr Williams's death was always likely to catch the attention of conspiracy theorists. By a combination of dilatoriness and obfuscation, MI6 has only made matters worse.

Independent : Spy Gareth Williams was probably the victim of a 'criminally mediated' unlawful killing

Spy Gareth Williams was probably the victim of a 'criminally mediated' unlawful killing

Kim Sengupta | May 3, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer whose naked body was found in a padlocked bag, was probably the victim of a “criminally mediated” unlawful killing in which poison may have been used. That was the verdict reached yesterday at the end of a highly charged inquest into the death marked by accusations of an official cover up.

The discovery of 31 year old Mr Williams’ body, in a North Face holdall, in the en-suite bath of his flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, south west London, due to his profession as an intelligence cypher expert had resulted in international interest and speculation about what happened.

The conclusion reached yesterday by coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, effectively pointed towards murder by a “third party” who had apparently managed to eliminate any evidence of their complicity. However, because of a series of blunders, one of the most high profile murder investigations in recent times may never be solved.

“It is unlikely this death will ever be satisfactorily explained” Dr Wilcox, told a packed hearing with Mr Williams’ family, representatives of intelligence services, and senior Scotland Yard officers among those attending. “Most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered”.

She continued: "I find it more likely than not that Gareth entered the bag alive and then died very soon afterwards either from the toxic effects of carbon dioxide and heat before he was able to make a concerted effort to escape from some unknown poison dioxide and heat. “I am satisfied so that I am sure that a third party on the balance of probabilities locked the bag placed the bag in to the bath where it was found.”

The Coroner maintained that it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the intelligence services were involved in the death of 31 year old Mr Williams, who was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ at the time, although she stressed "there was no evidence to support that he died at the hands” of a government agency.

But there had been repeated revelations of shortcomings in the inquiry and this week Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that potentially critical evidence, including nine memory sticks belonging to Mr Williams and a bag of the same make in which he was found, was only handed to police this week, 21 months after his killing in August 2010.

Dr Wilcox had been particularly severe in her criticism of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism command (SO15) which had been tasked with liaising between the murder squad and MI6. At one stage she accused a senior officer, Detective Superintendent Michael Broster of collusion with MI6 and “not being impartial” in the case.

The inquest had also heard that Mr Williams’ immediate superior at the intelligence service did not raise an alert for seven days after he had failed to turn up for work and basic procedures in such a situation were not adhered to. The resulting delay of seven days, decomposition of the body in the Summer heat, enclosed in a holdall, meant that vital forensic evidence was lost and Mr Williams’ parents could not view their dead son.

At the end of proceedings the inquest heard an unprecedented personal apology from Sir John Sawers, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service [MI6] to Mr Williams’ family.

In a statement Sir John acknowledged that the “Service’s failure to act more swiftly when Gareth first became absent from work has contributed to the anguish and suffering of his family.

“On behalf of the whole organisation, we regret this deeply and apologise unreservedly. Lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences".

Sir John continued: "Gareth Williams was a man of remarkable talents, talents which he devoted to public service. The work that Gareth undertook during his career both at Cheltenham and London made a real contribution to the security of this country and of its citizens. Gareth continues to be mourned by his friends and colleagues."

Members of Mr Williams’ family, in particular his mother, had been unable to sit through some of the more harrowing evidence. Yesterday, in a statement read out by their solicitor, Robyn Williams, they said, "To lose a son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined during the course of this inquest only compounds the tragedy.

"Our grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries as to his whereabouts and welfare, which any reasonable employer would have taken. We are also extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information.

"We would like to ask Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to look into and review how this investigation will proceed in light of the total inadequacies of the SO15 investigation into MI6 during the course of this inquiry."

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sabire, in charge of the team investigating Mr Williams death, said” "I've always been satisfied a third party may have been involved in his death and the coroner has confirmed that in her finding today. "The inquest has raised several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry. I urge anyone who knew Mr Williams or had contact with him to search their conscience and come forward with any information about what had happened.”

Independent : Gareth Williams 'was probably killed unlawfully'

Gareth Williams 'was probably killed unlawfully'

John Hall | May 2, 2012

A spy found dead inside a locked holdall, was probably killed unlawfully and it is unlikely his death “will ever be satisfactorily explained” a coroner said today.

Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was sure a third party padlocked MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams in the red holdall, and that "on the balance of evidence" he was probably alive when he was put in the bag.

She suggested that Mr Williams was suffocated by carbon dioxide, possibly as an onset of a short-acting poison adding "the cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated”.

She dismissed speculation that Mr Williams died as a result of some kind of "auto-erotic activity", also denying there was any evidence to suggest claustrophilia - the love of enclosed spaces - was of any interest to him.

"I find on the balance of probabilities that if he had got into the bag and locked himself in, he would have taken a knife in with him… He was a risk assessor," she said.

Dr Wilcox said it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services were involved in Mr Williams' death, but added there was no actual evidence to support that he died at the hands of spies.

The coroner was highly critical of the 21-month investigation into Mr Williams’ death, saying it would appear that many agencies fell short" during the inquiries.

Dr Wilcox said "most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered", and questioned why details of Mr Williams' private life were leaked to the press.

MI6 apologised for waiting a week before raising the alarm about Mr Williams’ disappearance, something Dr Wilcox said hampered the investigation into his death.

Breakdowns in communication by her own office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics, and the late submission of evidence by MI6 were singled out for blame.

Referring to the suggestion Mr Williams has climbed into the bag himself, Dr Wilcox said she found the it "highly unlikely", adding "If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment; he wouldn't care if he left any foot or fingerprints."

On claims Mr Williams was interested in bondage, the coroner added: "I would have expected much more internet activity to have been recovered."

The coroner ruled out Mr Williams's interest in bondage and drag queens as having any bearing, before adding: "I wonder if this was an attempt by some third party to manipulate the evidence."

Dr Wilcox said today there was no evidence to suggest the spy was a transvestite "or interested in any such thing".

The make-up found in his flat was more likely to reflect his interest in fashion, she argued and the wigs that were found there were "far more consistent with dress-up such as attendance at a manga conference".

There was some suggestion that his interest in female footwear could have been of a sexual nature, but this was not unusual, Dr Wilcox observed. "Gareth was naked in a bag when he was found, not cross-dressed, not in high-heeled shoes," she added.

Speaking outside court after the end of the inquest, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, in charge of the investigation, said: "I've always been satisfied a third party may have been involved in his death and the coroner has confirmed that in her finding today.

"The inquest has raised several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will now refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry."

Scotland Yard said it will review new lines of inquiry, with fresh attention on Mr Williams’ colleagues.

Independent : Gareth Williams 'was probably killed unlawfully'

Gareth Williams 'was probably killed unlawfully'

John Hall | May 2, 2012

A spy found dead inside a locked holdall, was probably killed unlawfully and it is unlikely his death “will ever be satisfactorily explained” a coroner said today.

Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was sure a third party padlocked MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams in the red holdall, and that "on the balance of evidence" he was probably alive when he was put in the bag.

She suggested that Mr Williams was suffocated by carbon dioxide, possibly as an onset of a short-acting poison adding "the cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated”.

She dismissed speculation that Mr Williams died as a result of some kind of "auto-erotic activity", also denying there was any evidence to suggest claustrophilia - the love of enclosed spaces - was of any interest to him.

"I find on the balance of probabilities that if he had got into the bag and locked himself in, he would have taken a knife in with him… He was a risk assessor," she said.

Dr Wilcox said it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services were involved in Mr Williams' death, but added there was no actual evidence to support that he died at the hands of spies.

The coroner was highly critical of the 21-month investigation into Mr Williams’ death, saying it would appear that many agencies fell short" during the inquiries.

Dr Wilcox said "most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered", and questioned why details of Mr Williams' private life were leaked to the press.

MI6 apologised for waiting a week before raising the alarm about Mr Williams’ disappearance, something Dr Wilcox said hampered the investigation into his death.

Breakdowns in communication by her own office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics, and the late submission of evidence by MI6 were singled out for blame.

Referring to the suggestion Mr Williams has climbed into the bag himself, Dr Wilcox said she found the it "highly unlikely", adding "If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment; he wouldn't care if he left any foot or fingerprints."

On claims Mr Williams was interested in bondage, the coroner added: "I would have expected much more internet activity to have been recovered."

The coroner ruled out Mr Williams's interest in bondage and drag queens as having any bearing, before adding: "I wonder if this was an attempt by some third party to manipulate the evidence."

Dr Wilcox said today there was no evidence to suggest the spy was a transvestite "or interested in any such thing".

The make-up found in his flat was more likely to reflect his interest in fashion, she argued and the wigs that were found there were "far more consistent with dress-up such as attendance at a manga conference".

There was some suggestion that his interest in female footwear could have been of a sexual nature, but this was not unusual, Dr Wilcox observed. "Gareth was naked in a bag when he was found, not cross-dressed, not in high-heeled shoes," she added.

Speaking outside court after the end of the inquest, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, in charge of the investigation, said: "I've always been satisfied a third party may have been involved in his death and the coroner has confirmed that in her finding today.

"The inquest has raised several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will now refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry."

Scotland Yard said it will review new lines of inquiry, with fresh attention on Mr Williams’ colleagues.

Independent : ‘Spy in a bag’ likely to have been killed with poison, inquest told

‘Spy in a bag’ likely to have been killed with poison, inquest told

Asphyxiation is said to be the other most likely explanation for the death of Mr Williams

Kunal Dutta | May 1, 2012

The MI6 officer found dead in a bag may have been poisoned, an inquest heard yesterday.

Poisoning and asphyxiation were the "foremost contenders" for the death, consultant pathologist Benjamin Swift told the inquest. Overcome by carbon dioxide, Gareth Williams would have lost consciousness within two to three minutes if the bag had been sealed.

Yesterday, scientists said they had found traces of "at least" two unknown people who had been in Williams's apartment prior to the death, despite evidence he rarely entertained guests.

The inquest heard that post-mortem examinations were hampered by decomposition of the body caused by heat because the radiators had been left on.

According to the findings, Williams had been dead for 10 days at the time of the post-mortem examination, consistent with the last time he was seen alive on CCTV on 15 August 2010.

His naked body was found in a padlocked holdall in his bath at his top-floor flat in Pimlico, central London, on 23 August 2010. The Home Office pathologist Richard Shepherd said it was "more likely than not" that Williams was alive when he entered the bag, but it was "an extremely difficult call".

Because of the "floppiness" of a newly dead body, it was not easy to place a body as neatly as Williams was found, he said. Hypercapnia – a high level of carbon dioxide in the blood – would be a "reasoned explanation" of what might have happened to Mr Williams, the pathologist noted.

Examinations on August 25, 2010 – two days after Mr Williams was found in a holdall in his bathroom – gave cause of death as "unascertained". But under questioning, Dr Swift said poisoning or asphyxiation such as suffocation were "probably rather than possibly" to blame. Another pathologist, Richard Shepherd, said it was "more likely (Mr Williams) was alive when he entered the bag than that he was dead".

There was, however, "no suggestion" the spy's body had been manhandled into the holdall and were he to have been forced into it either alive or straight after he died, marks on his body would have been expected, Mr Shepherd said. The hearing continues today.

Independent : MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'poisoned or suffocated'

MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'poisoned or suffocated'

Tom Morgan, Rosa Silverman | April 30, 2012

MI6 spy Gareth Williams would have suffocated within three minutes after getting inside his sports holdall, an inquest heard today.

Poisoning and asphyxiation are the "foremost contenders" in solving the death riddle, pathologists said.

It also emerged scientists found traces of "at least" two unknown people in his upmarket London apartment despite evidence Mr Williams rarely invited people over.

Forensic expert Ros Hammond said there were hopes of a breakthrough "within a matter of weeks" from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.

"There's hope," she told Westminster Coroner's Court. "The tests are still in progress and there may be some promising results from those tests."

Ms Hammond said a third party would not necessarily have left any DNA on his red North Face bag and padlock.

But she added: "There's certainly evidence of at least two people other than Mr Williams on the samples tested."

The 31-year-old was probably suffocated or killed by a poison which disappeared in his system during decomposition, pathologist Benjamin Swift said.

Dr Swift said his post-mortem examination was hampered by levels of heat within the bag after radiators were mysteriously turned on in Mr Williams's top-floor flat in the middle of summer.

Ian Calder, who performed the second post-mortem examination, observed that the build-up of carbon dioxide would have become poisonous to Mr Williams within about two or three minutes, had he been alive when he entered the bag.

"The toxic effect of the carbon dioxide... plays some considerable havoc with the chemistry of the body and so as a result of that the accumulation of carbon dioxide has quite a considerable effect on the wellness of the individual," he said.

The results would include headaches, then confusion and eventually unconsciousness and cardiac arrest, he added.

A soporific state would have been induced before the spy lost consciousness, which could have prevented him from trying to escape, he explained.

"He would get into a situation of not being aware, of not being able to react to getting himself out of the environment," Dr Calder said.

Hypercapnia - a high level of carbon dioxide in the blood - would be a "reasoned explanation" of what might have happened to Mr Williams, the pathologist noted.

"I think it's a very likely possibility considering we have a healthy person with no damage, as far as we know no drugs, no trauma, no natural disease," he said.

Examinations on August 25 2010 - two days after Mr Williams was found in a holdall in his bathroom - gave cause of death as "unascertained".

But under questioning today, Dr Swift said poisoning or asphyxiation such as suffocation were "probably rather than possibly" to blame.

Dr Swift said the two causes of death "were certainly two of the more prominent" beliefs as he conducted examinations.

When family lawyer Anthony O'Toole asked if there were any other possible causes of death, Dr Swift replied: "I would never say never but those are the foremost contenders."

Another pathologist, Richard Shepherd, also said it was "more likely (Mr Williams) was alive when he entered the bag than that he was dead".

There was, however, "no suggestion" the spy's body had been manhandled into the holdall and were he to have been forced into it either alive or straight after he died, marks on his body would have been expected, Mr Shepherd said.

Dr Swift said he believed Mr Williams would have died shortly after his last-known movements on August 15 in his top-floor apartment in Pimlico, central London.

The evidence came after bag experts said even Harry Houdini would have struggled to lock himself in the bag.

The inquest was adjourned until tomorrow. Coroner Fiona Wilcox is likely to deliver her verdict on Wednesday.

PA

Independent : Curious case of a lack of curiosity over missing spy

Curious case of a lack of curiosity over missing spy

MI6's delay in noticing the disappearance of Gareth Williams means vital forensic evidence was lost

David Randall | April 29, 2012

All over the country, there are offices, schools, workshops, banks, pharmacies, IT departments and factories where the failure of a colleague to arrive at work and thus miss a scheduled meeting would arouse some immediate questions. Such as: "Where is he?"

But not at MI6, apparently. When Gareth Williams didn't turn up at the office on 16 August 2010, there was not so much, initially, as an attempt to track him down, an inquiry of his family, or even a casual: "Strange, not like old Gareth to go Awol."

Instead, within the Vauxhall Cross headquarters of these guardians of national security, there was a bewildering lack of curiosity about the whereabouts of this super-fit, "world-class" code-breaking mathematician who had been seconded to the service from GCHQ, Cheltenham, had just completed a course enabling him to carry out covert operations, was hardly ever late, never had a day off sick, and had a journey to work that was but 1.7 miles.

Life at MI6 went seamlessly on. Mr Williams's line manager, known as "G" when he gave evidence at the inquest last week, merely "had a gut feeling that he was away doing something I was unaware of" – an explanation which suggests absenteeism in the service might be somewhat higher than is generally realised. "G" did try his phone, and also later went round to Williams's flat to give a tentative ring on his doorbell. But one, two, three, four, five, six days went by before, finally, on the seventh, the official alarm was raised.

That day, police entered his flat, and there in the bathroom, they found a large, red, zipped and padlocked North Face sports bag. And inside it was a very dead Gareth Williams. He had probably been there at least a week, the last known sighting of him being on the CCTV of Harrods on the day before he was due back at work.

This mysterious delay in taking any concerted action – and thus the non-discovery of his body for fully seven days – continues to trouble his family greatly, and has proved crucial. Williams had lain, in a bathroom and inside a plastic bag, for a week in August. By the time he was found, his body had significantly decomposed, as had any reliable forensic evidence. If he was drugged or poisoned, we shall never know. One of his superiors, deploying a nice line in understatement as she gave evidence behind a screen, conceded: "I appreciate the delay had some impact on the police investigation."

Mystery number two is how did he get there? Despite an apparent passing interest (if web searches are anything to go by) in bondage and the sexual thrills of being in a confined space, it seems inconceivable he could have placed himself in the bag, then zipped and locked it unaided. Police gave evidence to this effect, as did two experts in Houdini-like matters who have tried a total of 400 times to replicate such a manoeuvre. Fit and supple young men of the same build as Mr Williams – a keen cyclist and climber – could get into the bag, but could not find a way of closing the zip.

Small specks of another person's DNA have been found on the bag, adding to the obvious conclusion by police that Gareth had an assistant – or an assassin. It also seems likely that he was dead or unconscious before he went into the bag. The coroner's court heard from Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire that he was in the foetal position, and there was no sign that he had scrabbled to get out. She said: "In my opinion he was very calm. His face was very calm. His hands were resting on his chest." There was no damage to the bag or his fingernails.

What on earth, then, went on inside the flat at the security services safe house at 36 Alderney Street, Pimlico, south-west London? The evidence suggests that, however upsetting it may be for his family, Mr Williams was a man of unusual tastes and habits. There were, in his apartment, female wigs, 26 shoes by designers including Stella McCartney and Christian Dior, a quantity of cosmetics and, in his bedroom, some £20,000 worth of designer women's clothes.

He was a frequent visitor to couture websites, and, the inquest heard, a regular browser and sometime purchaser at Dover Street Market – an edgy emporium in west London which carries a large range of designer clothes. Carol Kirton, who works there, said he regularly shopped in the store, saying the items were for his girlfriend.

This extensive and costly wardrobe was raised in court with a female friend, Sian Jones. She told the inquest she did not think he was a transvestite. "I feel he would have been able to confide in me ... and I would not have judged him." She said she saw him every few days and he "showered" her with gifts. Another friend, Elizabeth Guthrie, suggested the clothes might have been "Gareth's attempt at a support strategy for someone. They certainly would not have been for him".

The wigs were kept neat in netting; none of the cosmetics had been used, and many of the clothes – and they were of varying sizes, the inquest heard – were kept pristine in tissue. They may indeed have been a store of gifts for as-yet unidentified girlfriends, but there could be another interpretation. After all, if the hoard was not the collection of a fetishist, it was a very good imitation of it.

Could this be connected to his death? The bathroom was evidently a venue for at least one sexual climax for Mr Williams, traces of his semen were found on its floor. Did he have some companion in sexual, or pseudo-sexual, meanderings which involved being put into a confined space such as a sports bag?

This would not have been the first time some bedroom escapade had gone wrong. When he was working at GCHQ his home was in an annex let out by a Mr and Mrs Elliot, who lived in the adjoining house. One night, the couple heard Gareth's cries for help, and went to investigate. "We went upstairs and found him lying on the bed with both hands tied with material attached to the headboard," said Jennifer Elliot's written statement. She said that he explained how he had tied himself up as an experiment, but she wrote that she and her husband thought it "more likely to be sexual than escapology".

Mr Williams's career and its particular path are clearly a complicating context to the mystery of a brilliant man who served his country. His sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest: "He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office. The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

Six months before his death he had completed an intensive course which would allow him to undertake what were described to the court as very tough operational tasks. But, according to his boss, he had applied for his three-year secondment at MI6 to be cut short – a request that was granted. There are also the unauthorised searches he made of security service databases about which the inquest heard. This was not, it seems, a settled man.

Neither police nor security services say they have reason to believe that his death was connected to his work for MI6. And, if any practitioner of "the dark arts" – as the lawyer for his understandably still-distressed family put it – wanted to kill him, surely it would have been a road "accident" while he was out cycling, an assignation on a bridge that would have ended with him "falling" into the Thames, or a simple bullet to the head? But not a modus operandi so outré that it would keep the media panting for an answer 20 months later.

The inquest continues this week. The mystery of how exactly Gareth Williams died, one fears, will go on much longer.

Remarkable coincidence?

Whatever the truth in the case of Gareth Williams, details of women's underwear and cross-dressing regularly emerge in the "presentation" of the deaths of intelligence agents.

Nicholas Anderson, former MI6 officer turned author, told The Independent on Sunday: "I am on verbal record to my own family, close friends and select lawyers that if anything ever happened to me – a straight man and a positive thinker – it would likely be made to look either like a suicide or that I died dressed like a woman.

"Over the years, it seems to me a favourite way of presentation. I, of course, am not suicidal in any remote way nor do I like to dress so. When I read in the press about Gareth Williams, women's clothes, and a wig, it all fits the usual scenario."

The IoS has come across at least 17 mysterious deaths – some dubbed suicides, others freak accidents – of MI6 agents, workers at GCHQ, or those linked to the defence or intelligence services over the past 50 years. Sexual overtones, asphyxia, or both, feature in a third of cases, and they are just the ones that are in the public domain and "open source", as spooks would say.

Stephen Drinkwater, 25, a clerk employed in a department at GCHQ where highly classified documents were copied, was found dead in his parents' house at Cheltenham in September 1983. A plastic bag was over his head and he had died from asphyxiation.

In March 1990, British journalist Jonathan Moyle, 28, who had been investigating claims that US civilian helicopters were to be converted into gunships for sale to Iraq, was found hanged inside a hotel wardrobe in Santiago, Chile. Eight years later, an inquest concluded that he had been "unlawfully killed" by a "person or persons unknown". Speaking in September 2010, his former fiancée said: "The British intelligence services tried to smear Jonathan suggesting he was sexually deviant."

Four years later, in February 1994, Conservative MP Stephen Milligan, 45, was found tied to a chair wearing women's underwear and with a bag over his head and a satsuma stuffed into his mouth. He was the parliamentary private secretary to the then defence minister Jonathan Aitken. Mr Aitken has since denied media reports that he also worked for MI6.

The same month that Mr Milligan's body was discovered, James Rusbridger, 65, ex-MI6 agent turned journalist, was found hanged at his house on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. He was dressed in a green protective suit, green overalls, a black plastic mackintosh and thick rubber gloves. His face was covered by a gas mask and his body was surrounded by bondage pictures. Consultant pathologist Dr Yasai Sivathondan said he died from asphyxia due to hanging "in keeping with a form of sexual strangulation".

In another case, an inquest in July 1997 heard how GCHQ worker Nicholas Husband, 46, was found dead wearing women's clothing after a bizarre sex ritual. Mr Husband, from Tewkesbury, had a plastic bag over his face and was wearing a nightie and a bra. He was found dead after he failed to show up for work in December 1996.

In March 1999, Kevin Allen, a 31-year-old linguist at GCHQ, was found dead in bed by his father at his home in Cheltenham. He had a plastic bag over his head and a dust mask over his mouth. An post-mortem revealed that death was due to asphyxiation.

Jonathan Owen

Independent : Dead spy Gareth Williams' sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

Dead spy Gareth Williams' sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

No alarm was raised over disappearance despite missed meeting, says Williams’ sister

Kim Sengupta | April 24, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer who was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his bath, was so unhappy about "friction" at work and the "rat race" that he had asked for a transfer back to his previous post, his family has disclosed. The 31-year-old cipher specialist died a week before he had been due to return to work at GCHQ, the government listening post.

"He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race," his sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest into his death yesterday. "He even spoke of friction in the office. The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

Mr Williams's family believes that he may have been executed by secret agents specialising in the "dark arts", with a cover-up subsequently organised to ensure the that his killers did not face justice.

Yesterday Ms Subbe insisted it was inconceivable that her brother would have voluntarily allowed anyone who had not been cleared by the security agencies into his home in Pimlico, south-west London. "He was very strict about only allowing people who had been vetted to visit his flat. I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness," she stressed.

"Gareth did not tell us what specifically he did as a job. Of course we knew where he worked, but he didn't speak about it in any detail."

On 23 August 2010, Mr Williams's family contacted MI6 after not having heard from him for over a week.

On 16 August, he had failed to turn up to chair a meeting at MI6 and was not seen subsequently until the discovery of his naked and decomposing remains. Ms Subbe said she had later spoken to an officer from MI6 who told her that her brother was extremely punctual "and it was highly unlikely for him to miss a meeting like that". Yet no alarm was raised by MI6 over an operative suddenly going missing.

The coroner, Fiona Wilcox, acknowledged that Mr Williams's death was "highly controversial" and has led to a "great deal of anxiety". Agents from MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service) and GCHQ will be giving their evidence from behind a screen. There would be "a real risk of harm to national security and international relations" if some of those giving evidence were identified, she said.

The inquest heard Mr Williams was a prodigy who took his O-levels aged 10 and began a degree course at Bangor University aged 16. Ms Subbe told the court that her brother "adored music, theatre and the arts, and fashion" and had undertaken two six-week design courses at Central St Martin's in London.

Officers from GCHQ and MI6 had held that Gareth Williams organised his own accommodation privately in the house at Alderney Street, Pimlico, as Anthony O'Toole QC, speaking for his family, pointed out. But there was evidence, he claimed, that it was a "safe house" used by the intelligence service. The inquest heard a statement from Vanessa Scott, who worked for an estate agency, W A Ellis, saying: "The Secretary of State had taken a contract on the property in 2003 and the tenancy would be continued."

The Scotland Yard homicide team carrying out the investigation into Mr Williams's death was not able to talk directly to members of MI6 and GCHQ, the inquest was told. Instead they had to give their questions to SO15, the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, which carried out the interviews on their behalf.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, from the Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, stressed that the agencies co-operated fully with Scotland Yard, adding he was not aware of MI5, MI6 or SO15 carrying out their own independent investigations into Mr Williams's death. Asked by Dr Wilcox whether she was surprised that women's clothes worth £20,000 had been found at her brother's place, Ms Subbe said they were "possibly a gift", as her brother had been generous.

She had not, however, been given any clothes herself and did not know of anyone else who had received any items.

PC John Gallagher, who found Mr Williams's body, said his attention was caught on entering the flat by a woman's wig hanging on a chair as well as a mobile phone and two SIM cards on a table.

On going into the bathroom he noticed a bulging red holdall in the bath with the zip padlocked together. "I am realising it is something serious and my concern was to not damage anything in a crime scene." He lifted the bag up, when he could see red fluid seeping out. "Then there was the smell," he said. "Probably as a result of moving the bag. It is unusual because normally you would expect to smell it earlier," he said.

The inquest continues.

Williams's death: Timeline

11 August 2010 Mr Williams returns to Britain from a fly-drive holiday to the West coast of the United States.

15 August He is captured on CCTV in London's Knightsbridge after shopping at Harrods.

16 August He fails to turn up at MI6 to chair a meeting. No alarm is raised.

23 August Mr Williams's family alerts the police after not hearing from him for a week. His body is discovered padlocked inside a holdall in a bath in his top-floor flat at 36 Alderney Street in Pimlico.

1 September Westminster Coroner's Court hears a post-mortem examination has failed to establish the cause of death.

30 March 2012 A pre-inquest review hears that Mr Williams's family suspects an agent specialising in the "dark arts" may have covered up his death.

Independent : Family see graphic footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene as 'mystery DNA' is found on bag containing body

Family see graphic footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene as 'mystery DNA' is found on bag containing body

Kim Sengupta | April 24, 2012

Video footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene was shown in a court today, unseen by members of his family who could not bear to view the footage which included shots of a bag with the body of Gareth Williams still inside.

Examination of the red North Face sports holdall also showed traces of the DNA of another person in the zip toggle and the padlock, the inquest into the computer specialist’s death was told. Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who led the murder inquiry said “They were two minor components of another contributor's DNA. 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.”

A graphic impression showed the way 34 year old Mr Williams was found inside the bag - in a foetal position lying on his back, naked, with his knees raised and arms folded across his chest. The key to the padlock was under his right buttock, making in “incredibly difficult” for him to have reached it in an attempt, somehow, to escape. In any event, said DCI Sebire, “there were no signs that he was trying to get out, no damage to his fingernails or hands, no tear in the lining inside the bag. He was very muscular, he trained regularly. I would at least expect some tearing to the netting. He was very calm, his face was very calm.”

An examination of the holdall in court showed that it would have been seemingly impossible for Mr Williams to have locked himself into the bag and then moved it into a bathtub where it was found, the coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, pointed out. Yet, apart from the speck of DNA on the bag, detectives had been perplexed by any sign of the presence of a ‘third party’ anywhere else in the MI6 officer’s home in Pimlico, south west London.

The police had found no evidence that attempts had been made to wipe out incriminating evidence. "There was no sign of the place being cleaned so there were no signs of bleach to destroy it” said DCI Sabire. "There was no evidence the bag itself had been cleaned or washed down or the lock or handles had been cleaned to remove traces of DNA evidence."

What the police did find in the flat was £20,000 worth of designer clothes for women all "immaculate" and "in pristine condition" and many in tissue paper; make-up items including nail varnish and eye shadow that were "all new" and apparently unused; wigs wrapped in net packaging, which "appear to be unused", including one Mr Williams had bought on his recent trip to the US and 26 pairs of boot and shoes most bearing designer labels such as Christian Louboutin, Stella McCartney, Christian Dior and Chloe, some which appear to have been worn.

The video footage, taken on the evening of 23rd August 2010, when Mr Williams’ body was discovered, revealed no sign of a break-in at his home, with cash left in a cupboard and a mobile phone on the living room table. The place was in a pristime condition apart from the bedroom where a blue toweling dressing gown, which had shown traces of Mr Williams’ semen, the inquest was told, and a duvet cover had been flung on the floor. The wardrobe door was open and a white shirt, still in its laundry wrapping.

Giving evidence later, Sian Jones, who described herself as a “close friend” of Mr Williams, denied that he was a transvestite. “We talked about all kinds of things, personal matters. I feel he would have been able to confide in me, I wouldn’t have been judgmental” she said.

The inquest continues

Independent : Criminal charges a 'real possibility' in investigation into death of ‘unhappy’ spy Gareth Williams

Criminal charges a 'real possibility' in investigation into death of ‘unhappy’ spy Gareth Williams

John Hall | April 23, 2012

The inquest into the death of an 'unhappy' spy, whose body was found locked inside a sports holdall just a week before he was due to leave his job, today heard how police may still bring criminal charges in the ongoing investigation.

Gareth Williams, originally from Holyhead in Wales, had been due to leave London and return to the Government’s Communications Headquarters in Gloucestershire just a week after his naked, decomposing body was found crammed inside the padlocked bag on August 25 2010.

Williams, a 31-year-old codebreaker who begun his university studies while at secondary school, graduating from Bangor University with a first class degree in Mathematics aged 17, had requested to leave London because he hated the “rat race” and the “flash car competitions”, his sister Ceri Subbe told the inquest.

In her statement, Ms Subbe said her brother “disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office.”

She added: “The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with.”

Ms Subbe spoke after Metropolitan Police barrister Vincent Williams said criminal charges over Gareth Williams’ death were still a “real possibility”.

Lawyers for Scotland Yard tried to block the coroner from releasing to the media video footage which could be key to a prosecution.

He warned that a “careful line must be struck between open justice” at the inquest and the ongoing criminal investigation.

Explaining their objection to some material going into the public domain, a lawyer for Scotland Yard said: “It is because there is a live complex ongoing investigation taking place.”

The inquest heard how Williams had failed to turn up for an MI6 meeting on August 16 2010, a matter Ms Subbe raised with one of his colleagues.

Ms Subbe 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.“

Although he was supposed to be on a three-year secondment in London, Williams’ bosses agreed for him leave on September 1 2010.

Ms Subbe accused MI6 of “dragging their feet” in approving his request to return to GCHQ, which was originally made in April 2010.

Asked about £20,000 of women's clothes found in Williams' flat after he died, she said it was ”not particularly“ surprising, adding their presence was ”possibly as a gift“.

Williams' sister said her brother was ”the most scrupulous risk-assessor“ she had ever known.

She said Williams, a keen cyclist, fell runner and mountaineer, and passionate about art, music and fashion, would turn back a few hundred yards from the summit of mountains if there was ”the hint of adverse weather conditions“.”Better to be safe than sorry,“ she added.

Ms Subbe said her brother never told her he was being followed or felt threatened in any way, adding: ”I cannot think as to why anybody would want to harm him.“

She said he was a private, very tidy man who never talked about his work.

Independent : Family fear cover-up over MI6 spy whose body was found in bag

Family fear cover-up over MI6 spy whose body was found in bag

Nina Lakhani | April 21, 2012

Relatives of the MI6 spy found dead in a locked holdall have spoken out about the family's anguish over the unsolved death as they prepare for the inquest on Monday.

The body of Gareth Williams, 31, a GCHQ code-breaker, was found naked and decomposing in a bag in the bath at his flat in south London in August 2010. His family believes he was murdered by a member of "some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services". Police have admitted that their investigation had been set back by a forensic blunder.

His aunt and uncle, Judith and Dafydd Thomas from Anglesey, North Wales, said the family was "very raw" and they hoped the inquest would provide some answers. "This was not a body in the bag – he was our nephew, a wonderful young man," Mr Thomas said. His wife added: "We could fill newspapers with words to describe Gareth ... It's a distressing time for us, especially with the inquest starting."

The inquest, at Westminster Coroner's Court, must decide whether the young mathematician could have physically locked himself in the bag without help. The coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, is considering testing this by ordering a live demonstration at the inquest, which is scheduled to last five days. The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has ordered key evidence to be heard in secret. Mr Williams' work with British and US secret services will not be disclosed.

Friends, neighbours and his family believe he will become another victim of a "cover-up".

A school friend, David Jones, 31, told the London Evening Standard: "This is David Kelly all over again. A cover-up. There was no evidence at the scene, it just doesn't add up."

Independent : Scotland Yard apologises over spy 'errors'

Scotland Yard apologises over spy 'errors'

Tom Morgan | April 3, 2012

Scotland Yard apologised today for "administrative errors" during investigations into the mysterious death of an MI6 spy found in a holdall.

The force said it was responsible for giving a coroner three names for the same witness ahead of the inquest into the death of Gareth Williams.

Elizabeth Guthrie is expected to be questioned about her contact with Mr Williams in the months before his death when the hearing gets under way later this month.

But Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox told a pre-inquest review last week that "there has been some confusion" over her identity.

The Metropolitan Police Service moved to clarify the situation in a statement.

It said: "For the avoidance of doubt, the MPS would like to make it clear that Miss Guthrie has assisted the police investigation at every stage.

"Regarding the issue of the spelling of her name, the MPS would also like to clarify that this was not caused by Miss Guthrie but was a result of administrative errors when her statements were taken.

"Furthermore, at no point did Miss Guthrie ask the MPS to represent her views in this matter to the media.

"The MPS would like to apologise to Miss Guthrie, her family, and HM Coroner for any confusion that has been caused."

Miss Guthrie had been listed as Miss Gunther, Misa Guseiri and Elizabeth Guthrie in separate statements sent to Westminster Coroner's Court.

News of the error comes after the force also revealed a key line of its inquiries had been an 18-month DNA mix-up.

Forensic teams mistakenly flagged up a spot of DNA on Mr Williams's hand in 2010 - before realising just two weeks ago that it matched a scientist on the crime scene, the force told the review.

Family members of Mr Williams believe secret agents specialising in the "dark arts" hold the key to solving the death riddle.

Relatives believe a third party was either present when Gareth Williams died or broke into his home afterwards to destroy evidence, lawyer Anthony O'Toole last week's pre-inquest review.

Mr O'Toole said: "The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services - or evidence has been removed post-mortem by experts in the dark arts."

The inquest is due to begin on April 23.

Independent : 'Spy in a bag' may have been executed by secret agents, coroner hears

'Spy in a bag' may have been executed by secret agents, coroner hears

Dirty tricks may mean killers will never face justice

Kim Sengupta | March 31, 2012

An MI6 officer whose body was found in a holdall may have been executed by secret agents specialising in the "dark arts", with a cover-up subsequently organised to ensure that his killers did not face justice, a court heard yesterday.

The highly charged allegations came at a coroner's hearing which was also told it was virtually impossible for Gareth Williams to have locked himself inside the bag, but that the hunt for those who may have killed him was sidetracked by a major forensic blunder.

The mix-up, over DNA found on the body, was discovered only two weeks ago – while the investigation into one of the most high-profile spy cases of recent times has been going up a blind alley for the best part of a year.

Westminster Coroner's Court in London was also told that MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service) had not checked on Mr Williams's whereabouts for more than a week, even though he had failed to turn up for work. As a result, his remains were so decomposed and contaminated that scientists had been unable to ascertain the cause of death.

Anthony O'Toole, representing Mr Williams's relations, told the court: "The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services – or evidence has been removed post mortem by experts in the dark arts."

Mr O'Toole said Mr Williams "could have been actively deployed" as an agent up to five months before his death. There was a "bland statement" from MI6 "that the death was nothing to do with his work", said the lawyer. "To properly explore the circumstances of the death, we need to establish the deceased's work," he added.

Mr Williams worked as a cipher and codes expert for GCHQ, the Government listening station, but had been on secondment with MI6 since March 2010. His body was found at his flat in Pimlico, south-west London, in August 2010 in a North Face holdall sealed by a padlock.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire told the court that traces of DNA found on one of Mr Williams's hands were previously been regarded as a "key line of inquiry". But it subsequently emerged that "actually the DNA evidence was contamination by a scientist at the scene".

The laboratory responsible, LGC Forensics, last night apologised to Mr Williams's family. "LGC identified the partial profile as matching that of a Metropolitan Police scientist who was involved in the original investigation," a spokeswoman for the company said.

The coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, said: "What I am concerned about is that there is a system in placed to detect the error. Human errors will always occur.

"There has been so much public speculation and so much public anxiety that this is the reason the court has to act to address it."

Mr Williams's family, said Mr O'Toole, was concerned a third party who may have been present at his death has still not been traced. There was the DNA evidence which turned out to be contaminated and also, supposedly, a footprint. But both leads had come to "dead ends".

Examination of a door knob which may have provided incriminating material could not be carried out because the expert tasked with doing so found the door had been removed and the knob taken out, said the lawyer.

The inquest into Mr Williams's death, expected to begin in April, will hear from his colleagues at MI6 (who will give evidence anonymously) and GCHQ, toxicology experts, bag experts, as well as from his sister. It will also hear that he may have died after breathing too much carbon dioxide.

Dr Wilcox said she wanted the circumstances of Mr Williams's death to be re-enacted in court. "I want it demonstrated in court how somebody could have got into the bag, done it up and locked it from outside when confined inside. It's the fundamental issue in this case: whether Gareth Williams was able to lock the bag when he was inside."

But Vincent Williams, representing Scotland Yard, held there was no need for such a demonstration. A panel of experts had concluded it "would have been very difficult, if not impossible" for him to lock the bag from the inside.

Timeline: The mysterious death of Gareth Williams

15 Aug 2010

31-year-old Gareth Williams, a cipher and codes expert who worked at the GCHQ listening post in Cheltenham, is seen alive for the last time.

23 Aug 2010

A colleague at GCHQ reports Williams missing. His body is found later that day at his flat in Pimlico, London.

30 Aug 2010

Detectives say they are looking at whether Williams may have been killed by a foreign intelligence agency.

1 Sept 2010

An inquest hears that Williams's remains were discovered padlocked into a sports bag, which was in an empty bath at his flat.

6 Sept 2010

Police appeal for help in tracing a couple of Mediterranean appearance, pictured left, who were seen entering Williams's flat earlier in the summer.

22 Dec 2010

Police reveal that Williams had accessed bondage websites and visited a drag show, amid suggestions that the death could have been the result of a sex game gone wrong.

March 2012

After 18 months of investigation, police discover that a trace of DNA found on Williams's hand came from a crime scene scientist. They also find that the couple they were tracing were irrelevant to the inquiry.

Independent : Calls for inquiry into 'astonishing' DNA error

Calls for inquiry into 'astonishing' DNA error

Paul Peachey | March 31, 2012

The major blunder that sent detectives on the Gareth Williams inquiry down a blind alley for more than a year is the second embarrassment admitted this month by Britain's biggest private forensic science laboratory.

The latest error – described as "astonishing" and which led to a public apology from the company to the Williams family – has raised questions over systems and practices at LGC, which handles half a million samples a year.

Critics called for a public inquiry to try to discover if private providers were fit for purpose following the final closure today of the state-run Forensic Science Service. "This simply should not happen," said Professor Peter Gill, a founding father of DNA profiling in the 1980s. "Surely there is sufficient evidence to open a public inquiry because we are now getting regular reports of widespread system failure."

The mistake followed the discovery of a partial trace of a second person's DNA on the hand of Mr Williams. To rule out possible contamination from any of the investigators at the scene, those details were loaded manually onto a database.

But that entry was never checked and a simple typographic error meant no match showed up. It was only last week, when the files were checked, that scientists realised the correct trace matched the DNA of a Metropolitan Police scientist.

"We are sorry for any pain this error may have caused Mr Williams' family," said LGC in a statement.

The man who recorded the sample faces an internal inquiry but the ramifications for the company could be more serious. It said yesterday that it had checked back on four years of samples to rule out other errors.

Westminster Coroner Fiona Wilcox said: "There are wider concerns about whether LGC can be trusted to provide a proper level of forensic back-up to all investigations, remembering they are providing forensic DNA and analytical background to a lot of criminal cases."

The failure comes amid a continuing investigation by the forensic science regulator, Andrew Rennison, into another problem at an LGC laboratory in Teddington, southwest London. A contaminated sample led to a man being charged with rape in a city that he claimed he had never visited.

Adam Scott, from Exeter, Devon, was not considered a suspect but was charged after tests on a sample retrieved from the crime scene in Manchester revealed a match. The charge was dropped after LGC accepted that the samples were mixed.

The initial inquiry by Mr Rennison blamed human error and said 26,000 other samples had been checked and no further cases had been identified. Mr Scott's solicitor, Philippa Jefferies, said the latest case reinforced her calls for a public inquiry. "I'm concerned that two basic errors have happened now," she said.

The Home Office said it was "inappropriate" to comment because of the inquest and Met police inquiry.

Independent : 40 spies set for MI6 man's inquest

40 spies set for MI6 man's inquest

PA | February 15, 2011

Up to 40 spies could give evidence anonymously at the inquest into the mysterious death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams, a coroner was told today.

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.

They have been passing on their findings to a team of investigators from the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command who are responsible for the inquiry.

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.

She said it is "very unusual" for two teams of officers to be working on a suspicious death inquiry, but said the victim's secretive occupation was the reason.

Speaking about forensic tests, she added: "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.

Independent : Dead MI6 spy 'was to assume new identity'

Dead MI6 spy 'was to assume new identity'

By Chris Corbishley | December 27, 2010

The MI6 spy Gareth Williams was training to take on a new identity eight months before he was found dead, a friend claimed yesterday. Sian Lloyd-Jones, 33, also insisted that he was not gay, after detectives had suggested the 31-year-old may have died at the hands of a mystery bondage sex partner.

Ms Lloyd-Jones told The Mail on Sunday: "He said he was learning his new identity... [One] night he came over with his box file and started going through it. He had two passports." Police have said it would have been impossible for Williams to lock himself in the holdall in which he was found dead in his flat in Pimlico in August.

Evidence indicates other people were in his flat, but detectives have been unable to trace them. An inquest will be held at Westminster Coroner's Court on 15 February.

Independent : David Randall: Baffling death ...

David Randall: Baffling death ...

October 31, 2010

Surprisingly little attention – given the international hoo-ha his death caused – has been given to Thursday's results of toxicology tests on the body of MI6 mathematician and code expert Gareth Williams. He was found, remember, naked, in a kneeling position, inside a large sports holdall which had been padlocked. The tests showed no trace of poison, alcohol, or drugs in his body, which knocked on the head the idea that Mr Williams had been sedated, bagged up, and left to die.

Other theories, however, continue to flourish, among them the persistent one that Mr Williams was afflicted with a sexual kink only satisfied by severe confinement. The Sun reports that he had recently visited websites on claustrophobia and sadomasochism, allowing them to headline their story: "Bag spook died in 'Houdini' game". Similar reports have been denied in the past, and all police will say is that they continue to seek a couple who were let into Mr Williams's flat shortly before the assumed time of his death.