MoD man: I called Kelly 'weird'

The most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence today admitted describing scientist David Kelly as "weird and rather eccentric" 24 hours before the weapons expert killed himself.

The dramatic admission at the Hutton Inquiry was immediately seized on by lawyers for the Kelly family as evidence of a smear campaign against Dr Kelly.

It was made by Sir Kevin Tebbit at a special one-day hearing of the inquiry. He was asked to explain comments-which appeared to "belittle" Dr Kelly, who apparently committed suicide after being named as the BBC source for a story that Downing Street had "sexed up" an Iraq dossier.

Jeremy Gompertz, QC for the family, challenged Sir Kevin over comments he made at a private function to James Robbins, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent. The inquiry was told that Mr Robbins later wrote a memo saying-that Sir Kevin had "sought him out" and whispered that Dr Kelly was an eccentric. Sir Kevin admitted that he had made a joke that Dr Kelly must have been crazy to have met Andrew Gilligan, the reporter who broadcast the dossier story on Radio4's Today programme.

Sir Kevin said: "My light comment was that anybody who talked to Andrew Gilligan in those circumstances is off their head." Sir Kevin denied a suggestion put by Mr Gompertz that he had sought to "belittle" the scientist. He added: "I volunteered that David Kelly was a bit weird and rather eccentric. It was not intended as a smear. It was in the context of, 'Why would anyone do this?'

"It was not my considered view of David Kelly. Had it been my considered view I would not have agreed that he should go on to pursue his career in Iraq."

Sir Kevin was then asked about a newspaper report of the same conversation which claimed he had also made "a circular motion with his finger around his temple" to imply that Dr Kelly was mad. The civil servant described that as a "slur" but said he had not complained to the newspaper.

Mr Gompertz also asked him to explain comments recorded in the diary of Alastair Campbell where he was said to have described Dr Kelly as "a showoff ". Sir Kevin said: "I do not believe that I used those words."

Earlier Sir Kevin admitted he had "overdone" an internal MoD memo which described Dr Kelly as a junior adviser. He said he had not realised at the time that Dr Kelly was such an eminent authority on Iraq's weapons.

He also revealed that crucial decisions which led to Dr Kelly's identity being published were taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.

Sir Kevin was cross-examined at the inquiry which had been reconvened for a final day of evidence. The special hearing was necessary after Sir Kevin cancelled an earlier date because of an urgent eye operation.