Holyhead Anglesey Mail : Funeral for Anglesey MI6 code-breaker is held

Funeral for Anglesey MI6 code-breaker is held

September 29, 2010

TRIBUTES were paid to MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams as he was laid to rest on Anglesey.

More than 150 family, friends and colleagues including MI6 head Sir John Sawers silently entered Bethel Chapel in Holyhead on Friday to pay their final respects.

The 31-year-old spy’s body was discovered trapped in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London in August.

Mystery surrounds the death of the maths genius from Valley and police continue to investigate.

His tearful relatives clutched each other for support as they followed his wreath and tribute covered coffin into the Baptist Chapel led by his dad Ian, mum Ellen, and sister Ceri.

Ceri’s husband Chris Subbe paid tribute to Gareth inside the chapel, describing him as a "source of joy" for his family.

He went on to talk about meeting Gareth with Ceri at the Ritz Hotel in June, where they spent the afternoon laughing and joking.

He said: "The world was ours for the taking, yet here I am three months later, to the day, trying to describe your rich life with my poor words."

He added that Gareth had always provided subtle and thoughtful conversation.

"He was unbelievably gifted but remained so modest and humble, he was a source of joy to his family," he added.

The service was led by Rev John Rice Rowlands and a second tribute was also read out by Gareth’s former headteacher at Ysgol Gynradd Morswyn, Islwyn Williams.

He remembered the former pupil’s brilliance for maths which saw him attain GCSE at the age of 10.

Mourners sang Bread of Heaven and Craig yr Oesoedd, which was written by Samuel Jonathan Griffith (Morswyn), whom Gareth’s former primary school was named after.

After leaving the chapel his body was taken for burial at Ynys Wen Cemetery, Valley.

Outside the chapel MI6 head Sir John added his own tribute to Gareth.

He said: "My deepest sympathies go to the family. Gareth was a hugely talented person and he was very modest and generous as well. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

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

He was due to return to Cheltenham a week after his body was found, after being in London for a year.

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

Fitness mad Gareth had excelled at school and graduated from Bangor University with a First Class mathematics degree at the age of 19.

Donations in his memory received at the funeral were given to Llanberis, Aberglaslyn and Ogwen Mountain rescue.

Daily Post : Funeral of Anglesey MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams

Funeral of Anglesey MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams

by Owen R Hughes, Daily Post | September 25, 2010

TRIBUTES were paid to MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams as he was laid to rest on Anglesey.

More than 150 family, friends and colleagues including MI6 head Sir John Sawers silently entered Bethel Chapel in Holyhead to pay their final respects.

The 31-year-old spy’s body was discovered trapped in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London in August.

Mystery surrounds the death of the maths genius from Valley and police continue to investigate.

Yesterday his tearful relatives clutched each other for support as they followed his wreath and tribute covered coffin into the Baptist Chapel led by his dad Ian, mum Ellen, and sister Ceri.

Ceri’s husband Chris Subbe paid tribute to Gareth inside the chapel, describing him as a “source of joy” for his family.

He went on to talk about meeting Gareth with Ceri at the Ritz Hotel in June, where they spent the afternoon laughing and joking.

He said: “The world was ours for the taking, yet here I am three months later, to the day, trying to describe your rich life with my poor words.”

He added that Gareth had always provided subtle and thoughtful conversation.

“He was unbelievably gifted but remained so modest and humble, he was a source of joy to his family,” he added.

The service was led by Rev John Rice Rowlands and a second tribute was also read out by Gareth’s former headteacher at Ysgol Gynradd Morswyn, Islwyn Williams.

He remembered the former pupil’s brilliance for maths which saw him attain GCSE at the age of 10.

Mourners sang Bread of Heaven and Craig yr Oesoedd, which was written by Samuel Jonathan Griffith (Morswyn), whom Gareth’s former primary school was named after.

After leaving the chapel his body was taken for burial at Ynys Wen Cemetery, Valley.

Outside the chapel MI6 head Sir John added his own tribute to Gareth.

He said: “My deepest sympathies go to the family. Gareth was a hugely talented person and he was very modest and generous as well. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security.”

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

He was due to return to Cheltenham a week after his body was found, after being in London for a year.

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

Fitness mad Gareth had excelled at school and graduated from Bangor University with a First Class mathematics degree at the age of 19.

Donations in his memory received at the funeral were given to Llanberis, Aberglaslyn and Ogwen Mountain rescue.

Daily Post : Funeral for MI6 code breaker from Anglesey

Funeral for MI6 code breaker from Anglesey

by Dan Beavan, Daily Post | September 22, 2010

THE funeral of MI6 code breaker Gareth Williams, who was found dead in a sports bag in his London flat, will take place this Friday.

The 31-year-old’s unclothed body was found in a holdall in the bathroom of his Pimlico home by police on August 23.

Metropolitan Police are still investigating the "unexplained" death of Mr Williams, who came from Valley on Anglesey.

The family yesterday announced that his funeral will be held at Bethel Chapel in Holyhead on Friday at 1pm. He will then be laid to rest at Ynys Wen Cemetery, Valley.

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.

He was due to return to Cheltenham a week after his body was found, after being in London for a year.

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

An inquest was opened at Westminster Coroner’s Court earlier this month. It revealed his body was found in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall, which was in an empty bath in the en-suite bathroom.

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

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

Tributes have been paid locally to the fitness mad MI6 worker who had excelled at school and graduated from Bangor University with a First Class mathematics degree at the age of 19.

Donations in his memory received at the funeral will be given to Llanberis, Aberglaslyn and Ogwen Mountain rescue.

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.

Wales Online : Police hunt for couple seen near murdered spy’s flat

Police hunt for couple seen near murdered spy’s flat

by Darren Devine, Western Mail | September 7, 2010

DETECTIVES probing the death of Welsh spy Gareth Williams yesterday revealed they are hunting a man and woman of “Mediterranean appearance”.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson described the pair, aged between 20 and 30, as “potential suspects” over the murder of the code breaker.

The two were let into the communal entrance of Mr Williams’ flat in Pimlico, central London, late one evening in June or July.

His decomposing naked body was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in the top floor flat by officers who broke in on August 23 after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Yesterday officers released CCTV footage of him as they appealed for the public’s help.

It showed the 30-year-old, from Valley, Anglesey, entering Holland Park Underground station about 3pm on Saturday, August 14.

Police said post-mortem examinations found “no obvious cause of death” and initial indications from toxicology tests showed no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs.

A force spokesman added there was no sign of any forced entry to his flat in Alderney Street or disturbance inside, and no property was believed to be missing.

Mr Williams, who worked at Government listening post GCHQ, was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

Police said Mr Williams had returned from a planned holiday in the United States on August 11, and went shopping “on a number of occasions” in the West End and Knightsbridge areas.

On August 15, he went to a cash machine and then to Harrods before CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near a Dolce and Gabbana store, at about 2.30pm.

Police said Mr Williams, who was 5ft 7in and of muscular build with short hair, was wearing a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry for the force’s homicide and serious crime command, said: “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.

“This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry.”

Though his body was found more than a fortnight ago scientists have, as yet, been unable to establish a cause of death.

And despite police referring to an “unexplained death”, Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers said the circumstances suggest it was “clearly a homicide”.

Dr Rodgers, who has worked on high-profile murder investigations in North Wales, said aside from cases where someone has died of injuries such as stab or gunshot wounds, establishing a cause of death was more complex in a decomposing corpse.

He suggested Mr Williams may have been poisoned or strangled with a necktie as a pathologist would have problems establishing this on a decomposing body.

Dr Rodgers said: “The difficulty with any body that’s decomposing is that some of the subtle signs of certain modes of death can be very difficult to ascertain – like asphyxia with a ligature.”

Dr Rodgers, 57, who works part-time at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, added: “What you have to remember is that from the process of decomposition chemicals are produced in the body which can affect the analysis of various poisons, so you’d get false positive and negative results.

“I don’t know anything about the case other than what I’ve read in the papers and has been on the news, but I suspect he’s either been poisoned or strangled in some way.”

In a statement shortly after his body was found, Mr Williams’ parents Ian and Ellen hit out at rumours that suggested the codes expert was involved in risky sexual practices, saying they had been “very distressing”.

In tribute to him they 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 anyone with information to come forward and assist the police inquiry.”

Daily Post : CCTV images of murdered spy Gareth Williams released

CCTV images of murdered spy Gareth Williams released

by Eryl Crump, Daily Post | September 7, 2010

Images of the last known sightings of murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams before his body was discovered padlocked in a holdall have been released.

The CCTV images have been released by police as part of an appeal for information into the death of the 30-year-old from Valley, Anglesey.

They show Mr Williams out and about in London on the weekend of August 14/15. His body was found in a bag in the bath of his central London flat nine days later.

The first footage shows him entering Holland Park tube station in west London at about 3pm on August 14. A second bit of film shows him on the following day shopping in west London around the Brompton Road area and going into Harrods.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said Mr Williams had returned from a planned holiday in the United States on Wednesday August 11 and went shopping “on a number of occasions” in the West End and Knightsbridge.

On Sunday August 15, he went to a cash machine and then to Harrods before CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, at about 2.30pm

Ms Sebire said: “I would appeal to anyone who may have seen or had contact with Gareth between August 11 and 23 to come forward and speak with us. This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry.”

Detectives said they were also trying to trace two people seen near the code-breaker's flat.

Ms Sebire said officers want to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of Mr Williams’ flat in Pimlico late one evening in June or July.

His body was found by officers who broke in after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Post mortem examinations found “no obvious cause of death” and initial indications from toxicology tests showed no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs. Testing for any other substance is ongoing.

Ms Sebire said there was no sign of any forced entry to his flat in Alderney Street, no signs of disturbance inside, and no property was believed to be missing.

“There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed,” she said.

Mr Williams was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in London.

His horrified family have paid tribute to him describing him as a “generous, loving son, brother and friend”.

A keen cyclist, Mr Williams often visited his family, who live at Valley near Holyhead, and often took part in events organised by Holyhead Cycling Club and Clwb Rasio Mona.

His family have hit out at rumours suggesting he was involved in risky sexual practices, saying they had been “very distressing”.

In a statement they said: “His loss has devastated us and we would ask anyone with information to come forward and assist the police inquiry.”

Police urged anyone with information to contact the incident room on 0208 358 0200 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Daily Post : Anglesey spy Gareth Williams' body was padlocked in holdall

Anglesey spy Gareth Williams' body was padlocked in holdall

by Our Correspondent, Daily Post | September 2, 2010

THE decomposing body of code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest heard yesterday.

The cause of death is yet to be established after Mr Williams, from Valley on Anglesey, was discovered in the Government flat on August 23, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman revealed he was found in a bag which was “padlocked shut” and the corpse appeared to be in an “advanced state of decay”, a court spokeswoman said.

A post mortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing. The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place.

There were no members of his family in court. His parents, Ian and Ellen, who live in Valley, were in London last week to identify their son’s body. His younger sister Ceri, who lives in the Wrexham area, is believed to have joined them.

Mr Williams, 30, a former pupil at Ysgol Morswyn, Holyhead, and Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was discovered.

Police have not said whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

The investigation is being led by the Met’s Homicide Command with the security-vetted Counter Terror Command (SO15) also playing a lesser role in proceedings.

Officers are still trying to determine if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system. A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Mr Williams was a code-breaker at Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.

He was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

Wales Online : Welsh spy's death a professional hit, claims expert

Welsh spy's death a professional hit, claims expert

by Darren Devine, Western Mail | September 2, 2010

WELSH spy Gareth Williams was murdered by a hostile security service such as the Russia’s or Iran’s, a leading expert on espionage claimed last night.

Professor Anthony Glees suggests Mr Williams’ murder was the result of a professional hit rather than personal entanglements following revelations his decomposing body was found padlocked shut in a holdall.

And Prof Glees, head of the Buckingham University Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, called on the UK Government to make a statement over the murder of the GCHQ code-breaker – saying the speculation surrounding his death was a threat to national security.

An inquest yesterday heard a cause of death was yet to be established after Mr Williams, from Valley, near Holyhead on Anglesey, was discovered in the government flat on August 23.

Prof Glees said: “To me it smacks of a very professional killing job and that means the Russian secret service – they’ve murdered people in London before – or conceivably the Iranians.

“It looks more and more like an intelligence killing – what people call a ‘wet job’, meaning intelligence officers have murdered somebody and blood has flown.”

Prof Glees, 62, said Mr Williams may have been blackmailed into passing on secrets to a hostile intelligence service which wanted to leave no trace of any links back to its organisation.

The academic questioned how Mr Williams’ body lay undiscovered for so long in the bag – the 30-year-old was last seen eight days before his corpse was found.

The academic said when security services staff were off work for more than a day without explanation home visits were made.

“They don’t appear to have come round to see this chap. Why not? We can only speculate,” he said. “If they had been frantically looking for him, they would have found him.”

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to appear at work.

Prof Glees added: “Until we’re told, people will continue to speculate and that in itself undermines national security and that’s why the Government must now explain what they know about this person and why his body was not discovered for two weeks.

“That, to me, is a really chilling fact.”

At an inquest yesterday coroner Dr Paul Knapman revealed the corpse appeared to be in an “advanced state of decay”.

A postmortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations were continuing, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard. The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place.

There were no members of Mr Williams’ family in court.

Police have not said whether the last sighting of Mr Williams was made on CCTV or came from another source.

The investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide Command with the security-vetted Counter Terror Command (SO15) also playing a lesser role in proceedings.

Officers are still trying to determine if he was suffocated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams, who in 2000 left a Cambridge University course in advanced mathematics having apparently already learnt all he could, was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Mr Williams was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

Secret services expert Gordon Thomas has said Mr Williams’ mathematical brain made him a vital tool in the fight against terrorism and cyber- warfare.

Mr Thomas, author of Inside British Intelligence: 100 years of MI5 and MI6, said the security services had played down his role so as not to alarm the world over his importance to anyone involved in his murder.

A Downing Street spokesperson said they could not comment on security matters.

The Metropolitan Police said all areas of Mr Williams’ life were being investigated – both personal and professional.

The University of Buckingham was ranked 27th out of 115 universities in The Times Higher Education Supplement’s ‘Table of Tables’ 2010.

Daily Post : Anglesey spy Gareth Williams cause of death still days away

Anglesey spy Gareth Williams cause of death still days away

By Sara Thomas, Daily Post | August 30, 2010

INVESTIGATORS are still days away from finding out the exact cause of death of British code-breaker Gareth Williams, according to police.

The complicated nature of the tests currently being carried out mean it could be well into next week before police are able to piece together how the Anglesey maths genius died.

A post mortem examination last week proved inconclusive and officers are still days away from determining if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

He was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was found stuffed in a bag at his flat.

A confirmed sighting of Mr Williams, 30, was made on August 15 in London, officers said.

But police would not say whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

The investigation is being led by the Met’s Homicide Command with the security-vetted Counter Terror Command (SO15) also playing a lesser role in proceedings.

Scotland Yard are playing down reports that thousands of pounds had passed through Mr Williams’ bank account shortly before his death as “pure speculation”.

It was reported that three sums of £2,000 were paid into his account on consecutive days and then withdrawn on consecutive days.

Meanwhile, Mr Williams’ family, who live in Valley, hit out at rumours that suggested the dead man was involved in risky sexual practices.

In a statement they said speculation linking the secret service employee to a male escort and bondage equipment had been “very distressing”.

Mr Williams, who was on secondment to MI6, was found dead in a sports holdall in the bath of his Government flat last Monday.

As police continued to investigate whether the GCHQ codes expert lived a secret double life, his family paid tribute to the murdered spy.

They 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 anyone with information to come forward and assist the police inquiry.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We can confirm that Mr Williams was in London from Wednesday August 11, and what officers believe is the last confirmed sighting of him still alive in London was on Sunday August 15.”

Police turned their focus to Mr Williams’ private life as they attempt to account for his death.

He was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

He was due to return to a rented flat in Cheltenham where Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, is based.

Mr Williams also worked for the United States National Security Agency and made regular trips to Washington DC and Fort Meade, near Baltimore.

Last week a pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Police refused to categorise the death as a murder, despite the bizarre circumstances and say he may have died innocently.

They were considering whether he became the victim of a sex game that went wrong.

Officers are examining his mobile phone and financial records.

They suspect he may have known his killer as there was no sign of forced entry at his top-floor flat in smart Alderney Street, Pimlico.

But questions remain over why his body was not discovered earlier.

Daily Post : Murdered Anglesey spy was a 'generous and loving' say family

Murdered Anglesey spy was a 'generous and loving' say family

by Our Correspondent, Daily Post | August 28, 2010

THE North Wales family of murdered British spy Gareth Williams last night paid tribute to a “generous, loving son, brother, and friend” as police continued to investigate the death of the GCHQ codes expert.

It came as Scotland Yard detectives revealed the 30-year-old was last seen alive in the capital on Sunday August 15 eight days before his decomposing body was found at his London home.

His relatives, who live in Valley, Anglesey, said in a statement: “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 inquiry.”

The mathematics genius, who was on secondment to MI6, was found dead in a sports holdall in the bath of his Government flat on Monday.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We can confirm that Mr Williams was in London from Wednesday August 11, and what officers believe is the last confirmed sighting of him still alive in London was on Sunday August 15.”

Investigators have begun picking through his private life amid claims linking him to a male escort and suggestions that bondage equipment had been found at his home.

In the statement released by police, Mr Williams’ family said the “speculation” had been “very distressing”.

Sources close to the investigation have rejected the claims.

Relative William Hughes, 62, a councillor on Anglesey, insisted there was no evidence the allegations are correct.

Mr Hughes, a cousin of Mr Williams’ mother, Ellen, 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.

“They have seen what has been in the papers and they are very, very upset about these untruths. I don’t see any evidence of it.

“It never crossed my mind that Gareth was that sort of person. He left home at a young age and what happened in his private life was his business.

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

Mr Hughes said it was possible the Government, or another agency, might be attempting to discredit Mr Williams.

Police turned their focus to Mr Williams’ private life after colleagues discovered his body and raised the alarm.

He was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

He was due to return to a rented flat in Cheltenham where Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, is based.

It is understood Mr Williams also worked for the United States National Security Agency and made regular trips to Washington DC and Fort Meade, near Baltimore.

The mystery over his final hours deepened after a post-mortem examination failed to identify a cause of death.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Police have refused to categorise the death as a murder, despite the bizarre circumstances and say he may have died innocently.

Officers believe Mr Williams’ body could have lain undiscovered for many days and are examining his mobile phone and financial records.

Daily Mail : Riddle of murder spy's money trail: Why, for three days in a row, was £2,000 paid into his account and then taken out?

Riddle of murder spy's money trail: Why, for three days in a row, was £2,000 paid into his account and then taken out?

By Charlotte Gill, Emily Andrews, Tom Kelly and James Tozer | August 28, 2010

Thousands of pounds mysteriously moved through the bank account of murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams in the fortnight before his death.

Police sources say they are investigating three sums of £2,000 paid into his account on consecutive days, then withdrawn on consecutive days with the last transaction happening on the eve of his killing.

It is understood to have been established that the sums did not come from his £42,000 salary, and officers are trying to discover who supplied the money and why.

One theory being explored is that the movement of cash could indicate 31-year-old Mr Williams was a victim of blackmail and had transferred money from a savings account into his current account before using it to pay off his tormentor.

Another possibility is that he could have been selling information and was paid the money before transferring it into another account or passing it on to another informant.

There could also be a perfectly innocent explanation, with perhaps a friend or relative repaying the cipher and codes specialist for a loan and him putting the money in a different account.

It is understood that an internal row has broken out between the police and both the intelligence and security services, with ‘spooks’ effectively being accused of sabotaging the police operation.

A source claimed detectives have been ‘blocked’ from interviewing several potentially crucial witnesses.

Mr Williams’s ‘best friend’, a female colleague at the Government’s listening post, was posted to work for an intelligence agency linked to Pentagon in the U.S. five weeks ago.

The 25-year-old woman and her husband, who also knew Mr Williams, both worked at GCHQ in Cheltenham and were ‘suddenly’ transferred to Denver, Colorado, on secret duties.

Murder squad detectives are keen to speak to her in case she can offer any clues to why someone would want Mr Williams dead.

But they were informed this week by the security services that she was ‘unavailable’ for interview.

A second key security services witness, so far unnamed, who also knew Mr Williams, has also been put ‘off limits’ to the frustrated detectives.

The body of Mr Williams, a loner who loved cycling, was found stuffed in a sports bag in the bath at his £400,000 apartment half a mile from MI6 headquarters in London by officers on Monday afternoon.

He had been on secondment to MI6 for a year but was due to return next week to his position at the government listening post, GCHQ in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The Daily Mail revealed yesterday that he had flown to the National Security Agency, the Pentagon’s listening post nicknamed the ‘Puzzle Palace’, up to four times a year and returned from his last U.S. trip only weeks before his murder.

Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to discover if poison, drugs, alcohol or suffocation caused his death.

There are no outward signs of violence and Scotland Yard continues to describe his death as ‘suspicious and unexplained’.

One police source said: ‘There is near mutiny among the team.

‘The investigation is in complete disarray because most of the team thinks there should be a public appeal to garner potentially crucial information about Gareth Williams’s movements.

‘But they are being told "No", without any explanation or debate. It is assumed that it’s an order from on high.’

A second source added: ‘It is absolutely bizarre because SO15 (Counter Terror Command) are not conducting the inquiry – it is being handled by homicide command.

’It’s very strange but it explains why the spooks are blocking them. Officers in SO15 are security vetted but the homicide detectives are not.

‘The security services are not going to want to trust them with top-secret information. ‘They would only trust the SO15 officers. This guy may only have been a cipher but he clearly had access to secret material, and they won’t want ordinary police officers tramping all over it.’

Questions are now being asked over why the inquiry was given to murder squad detectives in the first place, rather than security-vetted counter terror officers.

One theory was that this was specifically demanded by the security services. The source added: ‘It’s clearly a big cover up, for whatever reason. The security services obviously don’t want the police to pry too deeply into this one.

‘So by insisting the inquiry is carried out by ordinary officers, who don’t have security clearance, they have an excuse to block them from access to sensitive information and key witnesses.

‘It makes it easier for the whole thing to be swept under the carpet. Why, we can only guess at.’ Publicly, the Metropolitan Police said the notion of any dispute was ‘absolute rubbish’ and said that ‘organised and well established procedures are in place to ensure collaborative and supportive working’.

Family's disgust at slurs about his private life

The family of Gareth Williams are ‘furious’ at lurid allegations circulating about his lifestyle and fear they could be a government smear campaign to discredit him and divert attention from the security services.

His uncle William Hughes, said the spy’s parents Ian and Ellen were ‘very, very upset about these untruths’.

Speculation has been rife that the spy was a transvestite who was murdered by a gay lover or killed in a sex game gone wrong.

The lurid reports were made in a series of newspapers but police chose not to issue a denial until last night.

Only after staying silent on the claims for three days did Scotland Yard finally state that there was no truth in reports of a link to a male escort and said that no bondage equipment or gay paraphernalia had been found at the London apartment where he was found dead.

Mr Hughes, who lives near Mr Williams’s parents in Anglesey, North Wales, said: ‘Someone, somewhere is trying to discredit Gareth with these untrue claims about his private life.

‘The family are concerned that it may be part of an attempt to put false and unkind personal details about Gareth’s private life into the public domain to diminish him and take attention away from the security services he worked so loyally for.

‘They are very, very angry. It is completely false. The lad had been away from home for a long time - we did not know much about his private life but it has never crossed any of our minds that he could be gay. It’s not the picture they have of their son.’

Mr and Mrs Williams are being supported by their daughter Ceri at the family home in Valley, Anglesey.

Mr Hughes, 62, 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.

‘They have seen what has been in the papers and they are very, very upset about these untruths. It never crossed my mind that Gareth was that sort of person. He left home at a young age and what happened in his private life was his business.

‘When you have these rumours in the papers, it is most distressing. It is heartbreaking that he has died so young and his family have enough on their plate without having to read these stories.’

The spy’s former landlady, who for ten years rented a self-contained flat to him in the annexe of her home in Cheltenham, said he never brought anyone, male or female, back in the time he lived there.

Jenny Elliott said: ‘I would do his washing and hang it out to dry. I never noticed anything funny like that. He never came across as gay. Any time I went into his flat I never noticed anything untoward. I would even fold up his washing and put it into drawers.’

Friends too said there was no suggestion he could be gay. One schoolfriend, Dylan Parry, said: ‘Gareth was introverted and socially awkward. He wasn’t dashing or cavalier or a charmer, although he was extremely nice in a quiet way.

‘There has been a lot of speculation about his sexuality, but he was so introverted as to be asexual. He wasn’t able to form relationships because he was so obsessed with his maths studies.’

Wales Online : Police believe spy knew his killer

Police believe spy knew his killer

Western Mail | August 27, 2010

THE family of a Welsh spy, whose murder at his London flat remains shrouded in mystery, hit out last night at allegations about his private life.

Detectives investigating the murder of 30-year-old Gareth Williams were picking over details of his life last night for clues that could identify his killer.

The code expert’s decomposing body was found stuffed into a bag in the bath of his government flat.

He was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of MI6 from his job at national “listening post” GCHQ in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Further tests were taking place to determine how the cycling and fitness fanatic met his death after a post-mortem examination was inconclusive.

A pathologist found Mr Williams had not been stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Police are refusing to categorise the case as a murder inquiry, despite the bizarre circumstances, as they insist he may have died innocently.

One line of inquiry is reportedly that he is the victim of a sex game that went wrong and questions remain over why he was not discovered sooner.

Police believe Mr Williams’ body could have lain undiscovered for up to a fortnight and it is thought he was on holiday at the time of his death.

They believe the key to the case could lie in his private life.

But his uncle, William Hughes, said suggestions reported in London newspapers that the GCHQ and MI6 officer was gay and a transvestite had deeply upset his parents, Ian and Elen, from Valley on Anglesey.

The couple were still too upset to speak of their son’s death yesterday.

But 62-year-old Mr Hughes said: “They’re devastated. That is the worst part of it [the allegations about his private life].

“Terrible accusations have been made and there’s no truth whatsoever in them. They just need to be left alone and given space.”

Mr Hughes said Mr Williams’ parents remained in the dark as to whether his death was linked to his security services work or his personal life. Mr Williams has been described as an extremely private person.

Investigators suspect he might have known his killer as there was no sign of forced entry at his top-floor flat in smart Alderney Street, Pimlico.

Police have begun examining his mobile phone and financial records as well as CCTV cameras from streets and businesses surrounding his home.

His home has been the subject of a fingertip search amid fears that top-secret work material could have gone missing.

Mr Williams’ parents travelled to London with his sister Ceri, who lives near Wrexham, yesterday to speak to police and formally identify his body.

Mr Hughes said they were deeply shocked and flew back from a holiday in North America after learning of his death.

He said: “The last time I saw Gareth was just a few months ago at a family party and he was fine.

“He was always a quiet person, he was from a young age. But this is a close family and we all see each other quite regularly at family occasions.”

He said he never knew Mr Williams to bring home a girlfriend or a partner, describing him as a “very, very private person”.

“It’s a long way from Anglesey to Cheltenham and London. When he came home, he brought his bicycle. He enjoyed cycling around the island,” he said.

“I knew he worked at GCHQ and he had been working in London but I didn’t know what he did. It wasn’t said that we shouldn’t talk about it, I simply never asked and he never told me.

“He was a bright boy from a young age and his parents were very proud of him.”

Officers broke down the door of Mr Williams’ home on Monday afternoon when attempts by government officials to locate him via his former landlady failed.

Investigators from the Metropolitan Police’s homicide and serious crime command labelled the death as “suspicious and unexplained”.

Former landlady Jenny Elliott said the victim lived in a flat attached to her Cheltenham property for 10 years and was preparing to return on September 3.

“He phoned me a few weeks ago to say he was coming back,” she said.

She described him as “a lovely guy, very friendly, very well-mannered and polite and no trouble at all”.

She added: “He was often away. He went to America to work a lot and often combined it with holiday because he hated flying.”

Mr Williams’ London neighbours described him as “extremely friendly”, athletic and a keen cyclist.

He joined Cambridge University’s St Catharine’s College to undertake a postgraduate certificate in mathematics in 2000, but dropped out a year later.

Sources close to the inquiry said it was not clear how he died and played down speculation that the murder was linked to his secretive line of work.

One source said: “The suggestion there is terrorism or national security links to this case is pretty low down the list of probabilities.”

The Alderney Street flat is about half-a-mile from the riverside headquarters of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service.

A childhood friend of Mr Williams described him as academically gifted but socially naive.

Dylan Parry, 34, said the GCHQ codes and cyphers expert was an isolated child fascinated by mathematics and computers.

Mr Parry, a volunteer at Westminster Cathedral, went to school with Mr Williams at Uwchradd Bodedern secondary.

He said Mr Williams travelled to Bangor University every week aged 16 to study for a mathematics degree part time. He graduated with a first class mathematics degree from Bangor aged 19.

He said: “It was clear he was going to go far, but we all assumed he would end up in academia.

“Finding out he became a spy was a shock.”

He graduated with a first class mathematics degree from Bangor University aged 19.

He continued his studies with an elite course at St Catharine’s College but dropped out.

The university is one of the traditional hunting grounds for recruiters looking for bright young things to join the intelligence community.

Ronald Jones, 86, who lives with his wife Eileen, a few doors away from the Williams family on Anglesey, said: “The whole family keep to themselves very much.

“We’ve never had a discussion with them.

“I don’t remember ever seeing Gareth’s mother but the father runs every day.

“They’ve lived here for about 18 years.”

Mrs Jones, 85, said: “They were polite and always greeted you but further than that I don’t think they bothered with anyone.”

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, described the family as “really lovely people”.

Keith Thompson, of Holyhead Cycling Club, said he had known Mr Williams since he joined the club at the age of 17.

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

“We are a small club, only 20 members, and all of us knew Gareth.

“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.

“I last saw him on our Boxing Day meeting last year.

“He was his usual self really.

“It’s true that he was very quiet. He wasn’t a great conversationalist.

“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 was also a good runner but that was to be expected, his whole family is very sporty.

“His father was a member of this club and Ceri was an athlete. We’ll be getting in touch to offer our condolences when they are home.

“We have also cancelled a club event we had planned for tonight. Nobody feels up to it now.”

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.

This Is Gloucestershire : Bosses pay tribute to paid to murdered GCHQ spy Gareth Williams

Bosses pay tribute to paid to murdered GCHQ spy Gareth Williams

August 27, 2010

GCHQ bosses have paid tribute to murdered spy Gareth Williams.

Dr Williams, who worked at the Cheltenham base for 10 years, was found dead inside a bag in his London flat.

Bosses at the Government base last night issued a statement acknowledging for the first time Dr Williams worked at the centre in Benhall.

It said: "We can confirm Dr Gareth Williams was a GCHQ employee who was working in London.

"Gareth's sad death is the subject of a police investigation so further comment would not be appropriate.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Detectives investigating the death of cycling enthusiast Dr Williams, who rented a house in Prestbury, are trying to establish a motive for his murder.

The 30-year-old's decomposing body was found stuffed into a sports holdall at his rented flat in Pimlico on Monday afternoon.

He was on secondment with MI6, but suggestions have emerged his death may have been linked to his private life.

Potential employees of GCHQ face an intrusive vetting process that reaches into every corner of their private life to reduce any possibility of blackmail.

Meanwhile, senior figures at the Cheltenham and County Cycling Club where Dr Williams was a member are considering holding a memorial to him.

Club member Don Muir said members were slowly coming to terms with the loss and were due to meet last night to discuss ways of remembering Dr Williams.

"The whole thing has been a shock," said Mr Muir.

"We haven't had a chance to get together to discuss memorials, but we are meeting for an event so will have a chance to think about it then."

Dr Willams was said to be a man who excelled academically as a teenager.

He was a maths graduate who reportedly began a masters at St Catherine's College, Cambridge.

His uncle William Hughes, from his home town of Anglesey, said: "He was a clever lad. When he was at secondary school he would go to university one day a week.

"It's a long way from Anglesey to Cheltenham and London."

Dr Williams' parents Ian and Ellen, from Valley in Anglesey, reportedly flew back from a foreign holiday yesterday to identify their son's body.

The news has shocked their small Welsh community, where villagers added to the image of a very quiet, private man.

Chris Hall, manager of the family run Valley Hotel in Valley, said: "We are a really tight-knit community here.

"But I didn't know Gareth or his family. I have been speaking to people in the village and no one seems to be able to be able to put a face to the name.

"He was obviously a very private person. It seems the whole family was very private."

Dr Williams' father was an employee at the Wylfa Nuclear Power Station in Anglesey.

A spokeswoman said the company offered "appropriate support" to all its employees.

Jenny Elliott, his former landlady in Prestbury, described Dr Williams as a "lovely guy".

His neighbour in London, Laura Houghton, 30, said: "His windows were always shut and curtains were often closed. I could never tell if anyone was in."

Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police Service said formal identification had yet to take place.

A post-mortem examination carried out at Westminster Mortuary was unable to provide a cause of death and further tests are being carried out.

The flat where Dr Williams was found is in a freehold block whose ownership is hidden behind the private company New Rodina, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

The word rodina means "motherland" in Russian and Bulgarian.

Officers from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC) are investigating and are treating Dr Williams' death as suspicious and unexplained.

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.

Daily Post : Murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams was from Anglesey

Murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams was from Anglesey

by Eryl Crump, Daily Post | August 26, 2010

AN MI6 worker, whose body was found in a holdall at his central London flat, was born and raised on Anglesey.

Gareth Williams, 30, was discovered in the bath of the property in Pimlico, a short distance from the Secret Intelligence Service's headquarters.

Scotland Yard detectives immediately launched a murder investigation.

His parents, Ian and Ellen, who live in Valley near Holyhead, returned from holiday on Tuesday and were taken by police from Manchester Airport to London to identify their son’s body. His younger sister Ceri, who lives in the Wrexham area, is believed to have joined them.

They were still in London last night and other family members were comforting Mr Williams’ elderly grandparents.

Mr Williams’ uncle, Anglesey councillor William Hughes of Trefor near Bodedern, said he had a phone call on Tuesday morning to say the body had been found.

He said: “It was an enormous shock. I have been to see his grandparents and they cannot believe what has happened. We are all devastated.”

A former pupil at Ysgol Morswyn, Holyhead and Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, Mr Williams later studied Maths at Cambridge University.

“He was very, very talented but very quiet with it and didn’t mix a lot. He was very fond of cycling and always had his bike with him when he visited the island,” he said.

A former schoolfriend at Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern said: “He was a really decent honest person, he was such a nice lad, quiet and hard working.

“You knew he was going places. He stood out because at every level at school he was so far ahead of everyone else in the class.”

Last night it emerged Mr Williams’ body may have been undiscovered for up to a fortnight before his colleagues raised the alarm.

Police broke down the door after attempts by the Foreign Office to locate him failed.

Mr Williams, who was employed as a communications officer at the GCHQ “listening post” in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was on secondment to the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service.

He was due to return to Cheltenham next week after working in London for about a year.

Mr Hughes added: “We knew he worked for GCHQ.. He would never talk about his work and it felt rude to ask really.”

His Cheltenham landlady Jenny Elliott said he was preparing to return on September 3.

She described him as “a lovely guy, very friendly, very well-mannered”. She added: “He was often away. He went to America to work a lot and often combined it with holiday because he hated flying.”

Mr Williams’s London neighbours described him as “extremely friendly, athletic, with a strong Welsh accent.

A post-mortem examination carried out by a Home Office pathologist last night found he had not been stabbed as earlier thought. Further tests, including toxicological analysis of his blood for evidence of drugs and alcohol, will now take place.

Telegraph : British spy may have been poisoned or strangled, police say

British spy may have been poisoned or strangled, police say

By Ben Leach | August 26, 2010

The mystery over the murder of Gareth Williams, a British spy whose body was found in a sports bag in his bathroom, has deepened after police said they had been unable to determine whether he was poisoned, strangled or smothered.

Detectives have ordered further tests to be carried out on the body of Gareth Williams after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.

Toxicology tests have been ordered to see if any unexpected substances are present in the 31-year-old's body.

But police sources have dismissed reports that he had been stabbed or even dismembered.

Mr Williams had been working for MI6 on a one-year posting but was due to return to his regular job at the GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham at the start of next month.

Detectives are still investigating whether his death was linked to his work or to his private life, with one theory suggesting he might have had a violent row with a lover. However a connection with his work has not been ruled out.

Officers were yesterday examining Mr Williams’s mobile phone, which was found with several sim cards neatly laid out beside it, to find out his last contacts and when they were made.

They were also studying CCTV images from cameras near the Georgian townhouse where Mr Williams had lived alone for the past year.

There was no sign of forced entry at the flat in Pimlico, central London, suggesting the killer was someone Mr Williams knew. Nothing had been stolen.

Mr Williams’s parents, Ellen and Ian, from Valley, Anglesey, flew back to Britain from a foreign holiday to identify their son’s body after being told of his death on Monday.

The spy’s uncle, William Hughes, said: “It was a terrible shock when we had the phone call. I couldn’t believe such a thing could happen.”

Mr Hughes said the family had been given no clues as to the motive for the murder, adding that Mr Williams was “quiet and unassuming” and never talked about his job. “He would never talk about his work and the family knew not to ask,” he said.

Mr Williams was a maths graduate who began a masters in advanced mathematics at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, in 2000, but failed an exam the following year and left the course.

He immediately began working at Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ, in Cheltenham, where he rented a room for nine years from Jennifer Elliott, 71.

Mrs Elliott said: “I spoke to him three weeks ago, he rang me to say he was coming back on Sept 3. I don’t think he was very happy in London, he told me he missed the countryside.”

Mrs Elliott said Mr Williams, a cycling enthusiast, lived quietly in his self-contained flat, “didn’t have any friends as such” and had never had a girlfriend in the time he lived there.

“He was an extremely intelligent person but would not talk about his job as it was a secret. All he told me was it was something to do with codes.

“Occasionally you could hear tapes whirring from his flat, which must have been audio cassettes he used for work, but he never told me what they were.”

Security sources refused to be drawn on why it took so long for Mr Williams to be reported missing, but it is thought he was taking annual leave before returning to his old job.

Mr Hughes described his nephew as a “brilliant” man, adding: “The family knew this from a very, very young age. He was a very clever lad. When he was at secondary school he would go to university one day a week.”

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, was given updates on the investigation as part of a scheduled intelligence briefing yesterday.

Telegraph : Murdered British spy: a mathematical 'genius'

Murdered British spy: a mathematical 'genius'

August 26, 2010

A childhood friend of murdered spy Gareth Williams described him as academically gifted but socially naive today.


Dylan Parry, 34, said the GCHQ codes and cyphers expert was an isolated child fascinated by mathematics and computers.

Mr Parry, a volunteer at Westminster Cathedral, went to school with Mr Williams at Bodedern high school in Anglesey, North Wales.

He told the London Evening Standard that Mr Williams travelled to Bangor University every week aged 16 to study for a mathematics degree part-time.

He said: ''He was the kind of person who found it difficult to engage with people on a normal level.

''It was clear he was going to go far, but we all assumed he would end up in academia. Finding out he became a spy was a shock.''

Mr Parry added that his friend was someone ''people could easily take advantage of'', that he was ''naive'' and a poor judge of character.

A detailed picture of an athletic, intelligent and extremely private man was emerging today as police continue to hunt for Mr Williams' killer.

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

Mr Williams attended Bodedern high school on Anglesey, before graduating with a first class mathematics degree from Bangor University aged 17.

He continued his studies with an elite course at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, but dropped out after apparently failing an exam.

The university is one of the traditional hunting grounds for recruiters looking for bright young things to join the intelligence community.

Mr William's father, Ian, works at Wylfa nuclear power station and only returned from holiday in Canada and America with his wife Ellen yesterday.

The couple, who live in Valley, Anglesey, went straight to London with their daughter, Ceri, who lives near Wrexham.

His mother's cousin William Hughes, an Anglesey councillor, said the victim worked for GCHQ, the government's so-called listening post, for ''many years''.

But he keep quiet regarding the actual nature of his work. ''He would never talk about it and it felt rude to ask,'' Mr Hughes said.

Jenny Elliott, his former landlady in Cheltenham, described Mr Williams as ''a lovely guy''.

She added that he was often sent overseas, spending much of this time in America, even though he disliked flying.

Residents close to his London address said Mr Williams was ''extremely friendly'' and was often seen on his racing bicycle.

They said his curtains were always drawn and it was difficult to tell if anyone was in his smart two-storey Pimlico flat.

Fellow members of the Cheltenham & Country Cycle Club said he turned up to race at events, often very successfully, but did not join in socially.

They described him as a quiet man who did not go to the pub, but was extremely polite and amiable.

Telegraph : Murdered British spy: mystery over how GCHQ worker was killed

Murdered British spy: mystery over how GCHQ worker was killed

By Ben Leach | August 26, 2010

Police are still unsure how a British spy whose body was found stuffed into a sports bag at his London flat was killed.

Detectives have ordered further tests to be carried out on the body of Gareth Williams after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.

Toxicology tests will ascertain whether the 31-year-old was poisoned. Another possibility is that he was strangled, asphyxiated or drugged.

But police sources have dismissed reports that he had been stabbed or even dismembered.

Mr Williams had been working for MI6 on a one-year posting but was due to return to his regular job at the GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham at the start of next month.

Detectives are still investigating whether his death was linked to his work or to his private life, with one theory suggesting he might have had a violent row with a lover.

Officers were yesterday examining Mr Williams’s mobile phone, which was found with several sim cards neatly laid out beside it, to find out his last contacts and when they were made.

They were also studying CCTV images from cameras near the Georgian townhouse where Mr Williams had lived alone for the past year.

There was no sign of forced entry at the flat in Pimlico, central London, suggesting the killer was someone Mr Williams knew. Nothing had been stolen.

Mr Williams’s parents, Ellen and Ian, from Valley, Anglesey, flew back to Britain from a foreign holiday to identify their son’s body after being told of his death on Monday.

The spy’s uncle, William Hughes, said: “It was a terrible shock when we had the phone call. I couldn’t believe such a thing could happen.”

Mr Hughes said the family had been given no clues as to the motive for the murder, adding that Mr Williams was “quiet and unassuming” and never talked about his job. “He would never talk about his work and the family knew not to ask,” he said.

Mr Williams was a maths graduate who began a masters in advanced mathematics at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, in 2000, but failed an exam the following year and left the course.

He immediately began working at Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ, in Cheltenham, where he rented a room for nine years from Jennifer Elliott, 71.

Mrs Elliott said: “I spoke to him three weeks ago, he rang me to say he was coming back on Sept 3. I don’t think he was very happy in London, he told me he missed the countryside.”

Mrs Elliott said Mr Williams, a cycling enthusiast, lived quietly in his self-contained flat, “didn’t have any friends as such” and had never had a girlfriend in the time he lived there.

“He was an extremely intelligent person but would not talk about his job as it was a secret. All he told me was it was something to do with codes.

“Occasionally you could hear tapes whirring from his flat, which must have been audio cassettes he used for work, but he never told me what they were.”

Security sources refused to be drawn on why it took so long for Mr Williams to be reported missing, but it is thought he was taking annual leave before returning to his old job.

Mr Hughes described his nephew as a “brilliant” man, adding: “The family knew this from a very, very young age. He was a very clever lad. When he was at secondary school he would go to university one day a week.”

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, was given updates on the investigation as part of a scheduled intelligence briefing yesterday.