David Kelly, the government adviser on Iraqi arms named as the possible 'mole' for a BBC report claiming the government 'sexed up' its dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, has been reported missing by his family, reports the Guardian  newspaper.

The 59-year-old went missing from his home in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, at 3pm yesterday afternoon after telling his wife he was going for a walk, the paper quoted Thames Valley police as saying.

The BBC report, which has proven to be extremely embarrassing for the UK government, has brought the news channel in confrontation with the Tony Blair administration.