The crisis has left Blair, dwindling badly in opinion polls, facing his gravest crisis since coming to power in 1997.

The probe into the suspected suicide of David Kelly, now in its second week, has turned to focus on the role of Blair's office, with the careers of several officials including Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon hanging in the balance.

Kelly, who apparently committed suicide in July days after being grilled by two parliamentary committees, was caught up in a row between the government and the BBC over a report that Blair's administration "sexed up" a dossier on the potential threat of Iraqi weapons.

Pam Teare, the head of the defence ministry press office, confirmed to senior judge Brian Hutton in Monday's hearing that she was the first to give Kelly's name to the press.

The government has faced criticism for identifying Kelly, a top expert on biological weapons, with concern that failing to protect the scientist from the ensuing media and political storm may have contributed to his death.

Teare said that the strategy of allowing Kelly's name to be confirmed had been agreed by the defence ministry and not by Blair's office at Downing Street.

The inquiry heard last week that Hoon himself had overruled the advice of his top civil servant and decided to make Kelly testify publicly in front of a parliamentary committee.

Blair was also implicated when it emerged that he had personally ordered Kelly's defence ministry bosses to grill him for a second time over his contacts with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan, whose report was at the centre of the row.

It remains to be seen who will take the political flak for the crisis, but many commentators have named Hoon as the likely government scapegoat.

According to this weekend's Sunday Telegraph, Hoon had telephoned colleagues to tell them he expected to have to "fall on his sword" over the affair.

But Hoon's friends were quoted by The Times Monday as saying he "will always remain loyal to the prime minister... but to suggest that he had to admit to wrongdoing in order to stay loyal to Mr Blair is ridiculous."

Blair's special advisers David Manning and Jonathan Powell were both expected to appear before the inquiry later Monday as the focus of the inquiry turns on to the role of Blair's office.

The highlight of the week is expected to be the testimony on Tuesday of Alastair Campbell, Blair's top aide and communications' chief.

Campbell, who has resisted calls to resign, is likely to face questions over whether his relentless complaining against the BBC led to Kelly being exposed as the source of the controversial report.

The pugnacious former tabloid journalist was accused by Gilligan of inserting a sensational claim into the government dossier that Iraq could deploy chemical or biological weapons in just 45 minutes.

Hoon and Blair, both currently on holiday, are expected to be summoned to appear at some point before the inquiry, due to last several more weeks.

Kelly's body was found on July 18 near his home west of London, the day after he left home saying he was going for a walk.

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