Hoon visits weapons expert's widow

Geoff Hoon leaves the house

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has visited the widow of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

Mr Hoon arrived in a black Vauxhall Omega at the six-bedroom cottage in Southmoor, Oxfordshire, at 1400 BST. He looked grim-faced and was wearing a sober suit, blue shirt and tie.

He left an hour and a quarter later. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the purpose of the meeting but did confirm it was arranged at the request of Dr Kelly's widow Janice.

Dr Kelly was found dead in woods near his home on Friday after apparently committing suicide.

The BBC has since disclosed Dr Kelly was the main source for a story that called into question the way the government presented its case for war with Iraq.

On Tuesday, Mr Hoon was named in a series of articles as the minister who sanctioned the release of Dr Kelly's name to the press at the height of the row between Downing Street and the BBC.

MoD officials later said the reports were misleading.

Dr Kelly was questioned by MPs days before his apparent suicide

After Dr Kelly's identity was made public he was quizzed about whether he was the BBC's mole in a televised session of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the decision to go to war with Iraq.

Dr Kelly told the MPs that he did not think he was the main source for the original BBC report, claiming that a dossier outlining the threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction had been "sexed up" to improve the case for war.

In another development it has emerged that the BBC has a tape of Dr Kelly expressing concern about the way Iraq weapons intelligence was presented, it has emerged.

The science editor of Newsnight, Susan Watts, recorded her conversation with Dr Kelly, according to the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas.

The BBC is expected to submit the tape as part of its evidence to the judicial inquiry led by Lord Hutton into Dr Kelly's death.

The BBC will not discuss the content of the tape, but is thought to regard it as a useful part of its evidence, rather than the centrepiece.

'Seized upon'

After his death, the BBC confirmed Dr Kelly had been the source for three journalists who had reported concern among the intelligence community.

On Newsnight on 2 and 4 June, Ms Watts had quoted an unnamed source at length, as saying the government was "obsessed with finding intelligence on immediate Iraqi threats".

It was a statement that was made and it just got out of all proportion Susan Watts' Newsnight source on the controversial 45-minute claim Susan Watts' Newsnight reports

The source was reported as questioning the claim that Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes.

"It was a statement that was made and it just got out of all proportion," the source said.

"They were desperate for information, they were pushing hard for information which could be released. That was one that popped up and it was seized on and it's unfortunate that it was.

"That's why there is the argument between the intelligence services and the Cabinet Office/No 10 - because they picked up on it and once they've picked up on it, you can't pull it back from them."

Heat on Hoon

The Guardian says the tape's existence explains the corporation's determination to stick by its story, under the onslaught of criticism from government figures.

Other newspapers on Wednesday continue to question who was responsible for Dr Kelly's name becoming public.

I think we should all heed what the prime minister said about the importance of restraint Jack Straw

Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday "emphatically" denied he had authorised Dr Kelly's identity to be made public.

That turned the focus firmly back on Mr Hoon who previously had insisted the MoD had gone some lengths to protect the scientist's anonymity.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he would not be drawn on those observations.

"I am not accepting your kind invitation to be led down these rabbit holes," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I think we should all heed what the prime minister said about the importance of restraint.

"We should recognise that the funeral of Dr Kelly has not taken place, but in addition, if you have a judicial inquiry, you should allow it to proceed."