THE country's leading spy is in a coma after collapsing at his home, but foul play is not suspected.
Alex Allan, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is understood to be seriously ill in hospital as a result.
Police have ruled out foul play and said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding it.
Mr Allan's artist wife, Kat
ie Clemson, died from cancer last November.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We were made aware of a man in his late 50s who was taken to a London hospital after being taken ill at his home address. He remains in a serious condition. This is being treated as non-suspicious."
Part of the Cabinet Office, the JIC is responsible for providing ministers and senior officials with intelligence assessments on a range of issues, primarily in the fields of security, defence and foreign affairs.
The 57-year-old was appointed to the role by the government in November, having previously been permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice.
Mr Allan began his Whitehall career in 1973, working in Customs and Excise and the Treasury.
From 1992 to 1997 he was principal private secretary to prime minister John Major and then briefly Tony Blair.
He has also been high commissioner to Australia, and the Government's e-envoy.
The full article contains 227 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
