UK Wired : Anglesey funeral for MI6 worker Gareth Williams

Anglesey funeral for MI6 worker Gareth Williams

September 21, 2010

The funeral of MI6 worker Gareth Wyn Williams who was found dead in his central London flat is to take place on Anglesey.

His unclothed body was found in a bag in a the bathroom of his Pimlico home by police on 23 August.

The funeral of the 31-year-old from Valley on the island will be held at Bethel Chapel in Holyhead on Friday.

Metropolitan Police are still investigating the "unexplained" death.

Mr Williams worked as a communication officer at GCHQ in Cheltenham, but had been living in London after a secondment to the secret intelligence service.

The Metropolitan Police have described the inquiry into his death as "complex".

A post mortem examination was unable to confirm a cause of death.

His body was found in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall, which was in an empty bath in the ensuite bathroom.

There had been no forced entry into his flat and no property was missing, officers said.

Earlier this month the investigating team released CCTV images of Mr Williams, captured on 14 and 15 August in London.

A newspaper announcement said the public funeral service for Mr Williams at 1300 BST will be followed by burial at at Valley where he was from.

Donations in his memory will be given to the Llanberis, Aberglasglyn and Ogwen Mournain rescue services.

UK Wired : 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 William's body was found in bag in the bathroom of his Pimlico flat by police on 23 August.

Detectives have also issued images of Mr Williams, who was last seen on CCTV on 15 August.

A post-mortem examination established no obvious cause of death. Forensic tests at the flat continue.

UK Wired : 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 Kensington, west London, on 23 August.

A post-mortem 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's body was in a large holdall in the bath of an en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

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.

The inquest has been adjourned.

UK Wired : 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.

UK Wired : Family 'upset' at MI6 man claims

Family 'upset' at MI6 man claims

August 27, 2010

The family of an MI6 worker found dead in a central London flat are in a "state of shock", a relative has said.

The body of Gareth Williams, 30, was found in a holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat on Monday.

His uncle William Hughes said Mr Williams' parents in Anglesey were "struggling to come to terms" with their son's death.

Ian and Ellen Williams were "upset" about the stories in the tabloids about their son, Mr Hughes added.

Police had thought that Mr Williams' body may have been undiscovered for about two weeks after his death in the flat in Alderney Street.

They have now confirmed that he was in London from 11 August and that the last sighting of Mr Williams was on 15 August.

His family have 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 to come forward and assist the police enquiry."

A post-mortem examination failed to identify a cause of death and further tests, including toxicological analysis of his blood, are due to be carried out.

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

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

Ian Williams works at Wylfa nuclear power station and lives in Valley, Anglesey with his wife Ellen, while their daughter Ceri lives near Wrexham.

Mr Hughes, 62, a councillor on Anglesey, who is related to Ellen Williams, said: "I have spoken to Gareth's parents and they are not doing well at all.

"They are in a state of shock and struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

"It is heartbreaking that he has died so young and his family have enough on their plate without having to read these stories."

Some of the tabloids have reported on claims about Mr Williams' private life, which police will be looking into.

Mr Williams has been described as a "maths genius" who graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University aged 17.

Officers searched the London property after his colleagues reported not having seen him for about 10 days.

UK Wired : 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.

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."

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."

UK Wired : 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 Anglesey after a post mortem proved inconclusive.

Metroplitan 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 mathemitician 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 cyphers 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".

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

He went to St Catharine's College Cambridge to undertake a postgraduate certificate in mathematics in 2000 but dropped out a year later.

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.

UK Wired : MI6 worker Gareth Williams' family 'devastated'

MI6 worker Gareth Williams' family 'devastated'

August 25, 2010

The family of an MI6 worker from Anglesey whose body was found in a holdall at his central London flat say they are devastated by the discovery.

Gareth Williams, 30, from Holyhead, may have been murdered up to two weeks ago.

A communication officer at GCHQ in Cheltenham, Mr Williams had been been living in London after a secondment to the secret intelligence service.

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

Mr Williams was brought up on Anglesey, attending Bodedern secondary school.

A talented pupil, he had extra tuition at both primary and secondary school before studying at Cambridge University.

He went to St Catharine's College to undertake a postgraduate certificate in mathematics in 2000 but dropped out a year later.

His parents still live on the island. It is understood they have been taken by police to London after returning from holiday.

William Hughes, who is an Anglesey councillor, said he had had a phone call on Tuesday morning to say that Mr Williams' body had been found.

He said: "It was a terrible shock. I could not believe it, that such a thing had happened."

Mr Hughes said his "very talented" nephew did not talk about his employment.

Mr Williams' uncle said the MI6 worker never spoke about his work

He added: "He had worked for GCHQ for many years and I knew he was working in London doing something but he would never talk about his work and the family knew not to ask really.

"He was very talented in his work. He must have been. We don't know what he was doing. He never spoke about it."

The alarm was raised by Mr Williams' colleagues on Monday after they had not seen him for some time.

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

The authorities are playing down any speculation that Mr Williams' 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 Metropolitan Police statement said: "Officers from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC) are investigating, and are treating this as a suspicious and unexplained death."

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room in Hendon on 020 8358 0200 or, anonymously, the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.