'Mole' identified as MoD official

The alleged mole at the centre of the war between Downing Street and the BBC over Iraqi weapons was identified today as Ministry of Defence official David Kelly.

Former UN weapons inspector Dr Kelly is chief scientific officer and senior adviser to the proliferation and arms control secretariat.

He is said to have had a lunchtime meeting with BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan a week before the corporation broadcast claims that No 10 had "sexed up" a dossier detailing the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons.

The MoD has confirmed that Dr Kelly met Mr Gilligan and gave some details of the dossier - - but the official has admitted he knew nothing about intelligence information about the Iraqi regime.