“23% doubt David Kelly killed himself  and 39% ‘don’t know’, which means that 62% of the British public have doubts regarding the death of Dr David Kelly”  (Rowena Thursby)

Manchester Evening News, 15 Feb 2007

NEARLY a quarter of all people questioned in a BBC poll do not believe former Government weapons inspector Dr David Kelly killed himself.

The poll for the corporation found that 23% of people believed Dr Kelly didn’t commit suicide, while 39% believed he did and 39% said they did not know.

Dr Kelly was found dead on July 18, 2003 after being named as the possible source of a BBC story on the Government’s Iraq weapons dossier.

An inquest was adjourned indefinitely while Lord Hutton held an inquiry. Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner concluded in March 2004 that there were “no exceptional reasons” to justify reopening it.

The official account given by the Hutton Inquiry said that Dr Kelly committed suicide by cutting his left wrist. He had also taken an overdose of the painkiller Co-Proxamol.

The poll comes ahead of a three-part BBC Two series, The Conspiracy Files, starting on Sunday, investigating conspiracies into Dr Kelly’s death, the World Trade Centre attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing.

The programme on Dr Kelly, to be broadcast on Sunday, February 25, will examine in detail the hours leading up to and immediately after his death.

:: The Gfk NOP poll surveyed 1,000 adults in the UK by telephone between 27-29 October last year.