'Dr Kelly's grilling was deplorable'

A friend of Dr David Kelly has hit out at the "deplorable" way the scientist was forced into a public grilling by senior politicians including defence secretary Geoff Hoon.

Professor Alastair Hay told Channel 4 News: "The Government wanted its story heard and it seems David Kelly was grist to their mill."

Lord Hutton's inquiry into Dr Kelly's death, which resumes on Monday, has heard how Mr Hoon overruled his department's most senior civil servant to rule that the weapons expert should face a televised inquisition by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Professor Hay added: "Isn't it a crying shame that the concern expressed by some of his colleagues was not acted on, and that the politics of this was far more important? This whole thing is deplorable."

Documents released by the inquiry revealed the extent of Dr Kelly's grilling by MoD bosses following his admission of contacts with BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan.

Today the inquiry names witnesses for next week. Those who still have to appear include Tony Blair, Mr Hoon and No 10 communications chief Alastair Campbell.