'Today' editor was 'deeply affected' by Kelly's death

A senior BBC journalist confided to a colleague the sense of responsibility he felt over the apparent suicide of David Kelly.

Kevin Marsh, the editor of Radio 4's Today programme, which broadcast the initial allegations that the Government "sexed up" its weapons dossier, said he had been "deeply affected" by the death.

In an emotional memo written three days after Dr Kelly's body was found, he said: "Obviously, I'm finding this extremely difficult.

"Whatever the state of the current argument, whatever other peoples' roles in all of this and however composed one has to appear in public, I'm still deeply affected by the knowledge that a very good man is dead as a result of a series of events that, in the end, I set in train.

"I have thought very long and hard about this - in particular what, with hindsight, I would have done differently and whether at any time I was driven by unworthy motives or fell short of my professional duty.

"I find it hard to believe that I - or anyone else - would, could or should have acted differently given the state of our knowledge at the time or that my assessment of the story or the processes that got it to air are flawed. Nevertheless, what has happened has happened."

Mr Marsh's thoughts, in an e-mail to Steve Mitchell, the BBC's head of news, were among a bundle of internal BBC communications submitted to the Hutton inquiry over the weekend.

An e-mail previously disclosed to the inquiry by the BBC revealed that Mr Marsh believed that "good investigative journalism" by Mr Gilligan had been "marred by flawed reporting" and careless use of language.

The BBC documents also disclosed details of a fresh row with ministers over whether Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, would appear on Today. Mr Hoon said he would only appear if, after questions on other issues, he could discuss the battle with the BBC over the September dossier. In a separate e-mail, Mr Marsh defended the decision to turn down Mr Hoon because of that condition.

"There is nothing to be gained from subjecting the long-suffering British public to yet another dose of smokescreen ... butt-numbing smokescreen at that," he wrote.

Mr Marsh branded Downing Street's communications director, Alastair Campbell, "bonkers" in another e-mail disclosed earlier in the Hutton inquiry. "I am more convinced than I was before that he is on the run, gone bonkers or both," wrote the editor of Today.

It also emerged that John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, would only appear on the Today programme if interviewed by John Humphrys.

In an e-mail, Miranda Holt, assistant editor of Today, said: "The last time as day editor I rang No 10 was when the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, indicated he would do an interview and then a few hours later turned us down with no explanation. I rang No 10 to ask why and for them to ask him again.

"It had no effect. John Prescott will only come on the programme if he's interviewed by John Humphrys, and he wasn't on that day."