Blair spokesman denies Kelly smear claim

A DOWNING STREET official who described British Government weapons expert David Kelly as a “Walter Mitty” character denied yesterday his comments were part of a smear campaign against the scientist.

Tom Kelly, one of the Prime Minister’s spokesmen, told the Hutton Inquiry there had been no “malicious” intent in his remark to a journalist following Dr Kelly’s death. But the inquiry heard evidence that one of Tony Blair’s closest aides, Number 10 chief of staff Jonathan Powell, described Dr Kelly as a “rogue element”.

The inquiry is investigating how Dr Kelly apparently came to take his own life after being identified as the source of a BBC story claiming the Government had “sexed up” its Iraq weapons dossier to strengthen the case for war.