Blair Feels the Heat

Dave Purnell from Thames Valley Police said: "The post mortem has revealed the cause of death as haemorraging from a wound to his left wrist. The injury consisted with having been caused by a bladed object.

We’ve recovered a knife and an open pack of painkilling tablets at the scene."

Dr Kelly, a former UN weapons inspector who worked for the Ministry of Defence, went missing on Thursday, just days after facing tough questioning by a parliamentary committee as part of the government’s inquiry into the use of intelligence.

The committee was probing claims made in a BBC report in May that the government had exaggerated intelligence to justify the Iraq war.

Dr Kelly said he had spoken to a BBC journalist but said he did not believe he was the source for the reporter’s story.

Defence Minister Geoff Hoon said he did not believe Blair should step down over the situation.

"Of course not, this is a matter for the inquiry to investigate the tragic circumstances of a particular individual’s death. It’s not a matter that affects the Prime Minister himself," Hoon said.

When asked if he should resign, Hoon said: "I will look very carefully at what the inquiry has to say."

During a press conference on his first leg of a Far East tour, a journalist asked Blair if he believed that the death is in some way on his conscience.

Blair did not respond, but said: "Let me repeat – there is going to be a full and independent inquiry. I think we should make our judgement after we hear the facts. In the meantime, we should show respect and restraint and let me express once again my deep sorrow for this tragedy which has come about."

Dr Kelly’s wife and one of his daughters had the difficult task of officially identifying his body today. In a statement, his family said recent events had made his life intolerable and those involved in the affair should think long and hard about how it came to this situation.