Experts demand inquest into Kelly death

A group of prominent experts have demanded a full inquest into the death of government weapons inspector David Kelly.

They described the official cause of death, haemorrhage, as "extremely unlikely" in the light of evidence since made public.

The call came in a letter to The Times signed by eight senior figures, including a former coroner, Michael Powers, a former deputy coroner, Margaret Bloom, and Julian Bion, a professor of intensive care medicine.

Coalition ministers are currently exploring how best to allay concern over shortcomings in the official version of Dr Kelly's death.

The scientist was found dead in woods near his Oxfordshire home in 2003 after he was exposed as the source for a BBC story disclosing anger within the intelligence service over use of Iraq arms data.

The then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, suspended an inquest before an inquiry by Lord Hutton began, and it was never resumed. Lord Hutton concluded "the principal cause of death was bleeding from incised wounds to his left wrist which Dr Kelly had inflicted on himself with the knife found beside his body".

But the letter's signatories insist that the conclusion is unsafe.