Police said defence official Dr David Kelly, whose body was found on Friday, bled to death after apparently slashing his own wrist. A knife and a packet of painkillers often used in suicides were found near the body.

Kelly, 59, was a Ministry of Defence consultant on biological weapons and a former UN arms inspector in Iraq.

His family said he had been under "intolerable pressure" after being grilled on Wednesday by a parliamentary committee examining the row over a BBC report that a February dossier on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction had been "sexed up" by aides to Blair.

Kelly denied being the source for the story but admitted briefing Andrew Gilligan, the BBC defence correspondent whose report triggered the high-profile and still-unresolved row between the government and the national broadcaster.

Blair, currently in Japan, refused to comment on the implications of Kelly's death pending the outcome of a judicial inquiry he has ordered.

But he appeared visibly strained and emotional during an appearance at a press conference and did not respond to a reporter who bluntly asked if he had "blood on his hands" and might resign.

The pressure on Blair was increased by a statement from Kelly's family.

"Events over recent weeks had made David's life intolerable and all of those involved should reflect long and hard on this fact," the family statement said.

It added: "It is hard to comprehend the enormity of this tragedy. We appeal now to everyone to afford us privacy to grieve in peace and come to terms with our loss."

Kelly's body was found in woods near his home in Oxfordshire. Police said there was no evidence anyone else was involved in his death.

"A post-mortem has revealed that the cause of death was haemhoragging from a wound to his left wrist," said Acting Superintendent David Purnell said.

"The injury is consistent with having been caused by a bladed object.

"We have recovered a knife and an open packet of co-proxamol (eds: correct spelling) tablets at the scene. Whilst our inquiries are continuing there is no indication at this stage of any other party being involved."

Co-proxamol is a prescription-only painkiller used in one in 20 suicides in Britain, according to the British Medical Journal.

Glenda Jackson, a former minister under Blair, said he should "bite the bullet" and step down as prime minister because the judicial inquiry would paralyse the government.

"I don't see how the government is going to be able to function adequately," the former actress said. "This is going to be hanging over the government for the whole period of the judicial inquiry."

Iain Duncan Smith, leader of the Conservative opposition, wrote to Blair demanding the recall of parliament from its summer recess to consider the fallout from Kelly's death and a broader inquiry into the government's handling of intelligence on Iraq.

Blair, who has resisted calls to cut short his trip to Asia and return home to deal with the worst crisis of his six years in office, urged the press to await the outcome of the judicial inquiry, which will be conducted by a senior judge.

"I don't think it's right for anyone, ourselves or anybody else, to make a judgement until we have the facts," Blair said.

The row over the BBC report has increased the pressure on the British government over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq more than three months after the end of the war.

British newspapers on Saturday accused Blair of using Kelly as a scapegoat and a diversion from this issue.

"Death of the dossier fall guy" was the page-one headline of the Daily Telegraph, while the Daily Mail attacked the government's treatment of Kelly under the headline "Proud of yourselves?".

The Financial Times termed the death "an immense blow" to the government and there was growing speculation that the affair would -- at the very least -- lead to the resignation of Alastair Campbell, Blair's director of communications and one of his closest aides.

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