Who was Gareth Williams and what happened to him?

GARETH Williams died in 2010, prompting one of the most famous police investigations in British history.

Williams was a codebreaker for the secret service, but what else do we know about his life and what happened to him?

Who was Gareth Williams?

Gareth Williams was a Welsh mathematician who worked for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and MI6.

He was found dead in August 2010, commonly referred to as "the spy in a bag".

Born in Anglesey, Wales, on September 26, 1978, Williams was excellent at maths, passing his GCSE in the subject aged 10, and his A-levels at the age of 14.

He completed a doctorate in computer science aged 17.

He started work with GCHQ in 2001, and was placed on secondment with MI6 in London in 2009, a year before his death.

What happened to Gareth Williams?

Williams was found dead in a bag in his a safe house in Pimlico, London, on August 23, 2010.

He was found during a routine welfare check by police, who were informed by his colleagues that they hadn't heard from him in several days.

The bag he was in was locked from the outside, with the keys inside with his body.

In November 2013, the Metropolitan Police concluded Gareth had acted alone, locking himself in the bag before he died.

Coroners recorded no obvious cause of death as there were no substances in his system and no obvious injuries to his body when they examined him.

It was estimated that he had actually passed away on August 16, 2010.

There was unidentified DNA found on the padlock of the bag, as well as hair in the hand of Williams.

What did Gareth Williams' family say?

The family rejected claims during the inquest into his death that it was accidental.

They were also critical of MI6, saying that they should have taken more concern over his welfare after not attending work on August 16 2010.

Scotland Yard admitted in 2013 that their investigation into his death had been flawed from the outset.