Kelly: committee pressure

The Ministry of Defence will establish an independent inquiry if a body found near Abingdon is confirmed as that of Dr David Kelly, the scientist at the heart of the WMD row.

It was announced on Friday morning that Dr Kelly, who this week gave evidence to MPs, went for a walk at 3.00pm on Thursday but failed to return home.

Police have confirmed the discovery of a body wearing clothing that matches that of Dr Kelly when he left his home, but formal identification will not take place until the weekend.

After initial confusion, the MoD said that should Dr Kelly's death be confirmed the government would set up an independent inquiry led by a senior judge to examine the death.

"But it is right that we await formal identification by the police and that we inform the family," a spokesman added.

It is expected that Lord Hutton, a senior Law Lord, will lead the inquiry. It is set to be held as an ad hoc inquiry, rather than the full judicial review demanded by some.

And Lord Hutton will focus on the circumstances surrounding the death, rather than the policy areas examined by the Commons foreign affairs committee and parliament's intelligence and security committee.

Tony Blair now faces a major crisis in a government rocked by claims it misled parliament and the country about the case for war in Iraq.

This latest twist in the weapons row will lead to fresh demands for the resignation of Alastair Campbell.

It could also result in top level ministerial resignations within government.

The role of defence secretary Geoff Hoon will come under fresh scrutiny.

Hoon is said to have given permission to Downing Street to name Dr Kelly as the alleged source of BBC reports about the government's weapons dossier.

The manner of questioning by members of the foreign affairs select committee will also face further scrutiny.

Dr Kelly's family raised the alarm shortly before midnight on Thursday after the 59-year-old scientist failed to return home.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the body is that of Dr Kelly - who was this week subject to a grilling by MPs.

Local police, however, had confirmed that there are no other reports of any other missing person in the area.

The body was found at 9.20am on Friday after a major search in the area surrounding Dr Kelly's Oxfordshire home.

It was found at Harrowdown Hill, five miles away from Dr Kelly's home in Abingdon.

Police had earlier said they were concerned for the safety of the senior Ministry of Defence scientist.

Reports suggested he was wearing an off-white cotton shirt, blue jeans, with a brown leather belt and brown shoes.

During his appearance before MPs, Dr Kelly denied he was the source of claims that the government had "sexed up" evidence about Saddam Hussein's weapons arsenal.

The foreign affairs committee said the Ministry of Defence had treated Dr Kelly badly in allowing his name to be released to the media.

Labour member Andrew MacKinlay suggested he had been used as a fall guy to divert attention from the real source of the weapons claims.

Committee chairman Donald Anderson expressed his concern at the "human tragedy". "Clearly this is deeply worrying," he said.

But he denied that ministers would have to resign over the affair.

Iain Duncan Smith welcomed the announcement of an independent inquiry, which he said should be held under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921.

"We have been calling for one for a very long time," the Conservative leader said.

"I am only sad it takes a tragedy like this to finally get the government to accept that.

"We will be concerned to see that this is a wide-ranging inquiry, not something solely on the MoD.

"We want to see the terms of reference, but it needs to be a wide-ranging inquiry based on the 1921 Act."

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy offered his sympathies to Dr Kelly's family.

"If this is David Kelly, then his death is desperately sad," he said. "We don't yet know what has happened to him but I would offer my deepest sympathies to his family."

Former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle said there were "very many missing parts to this story" and demanded a public inquiry into the events.

"This adds another bizarre twist to this whole ongoing soap drama which is the weapons of mass destruction excuse for going to war with Iraq," he told Sky News.

"We owe it to parliament and to the people, and not least to the family of Dr Kelly, to get to the bottom of this in a way which is completely untarnished."

Confirmation that the body is that of Dr Kelly will also put the spotlight on recent events inside the Ministry of Defence.

Dr Kelly told MPs this week that he came forward after fearing that he may be the source of claims that the government "sexed up" claims about Iraq's weapons capability.

Whilst Dr Kelly confirmed that he met with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan he rejected claims that he was the source of the reports.

It is understood that he received a verbal warning but was not thought to be facing formal disciplinary action as a result of his contact with Gilligan.