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Britain's top spy fights for his life in London hospital Saturday, 05 July 2008 The Government's top intelligence adviser was continuing to fight for life in hospital today after collapsing into a coma five days ago.

Alex Allan, 57, who heads the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), reported feeling unwell at the end of last week before falling ill at his London home on Monday.

While it remains unclear why he collapsed, Whitehall sources said they did not believe the cause was "foul play".

It is understood doctors are carrying out toxicology tests as part of efforts to establish the nature of his illness.

Scotland Yard said the incident was being treated as "non-suspicious" and confirmed he remained in a "serious" condition in a London hospital.

A Cabinet Office spokesman would not give any more details about Mr Allan's condition or treatment.

His wife, artist Katie Clemson, died from cancer last November.

The JIC is part of the Cabinet Office and responsible for briefing the Prime Minister on a weekly basis.

Personnel from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ sit on the committee, and the chairman collates their findings and presents them to the Prime Minister and other senior ministers.

Mr Allan was appointed to the position last November. He was previously permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice.

He was chosen partly because it would be the last appointment of his career.

The rules were changed following the Butler report into the preparation of intelligence assessments.

It was agreed then that the chairmanship of the JIC would be the last appointment a civil servant would hold.

Former JIC head Sir John Scarlett became head of MI6 after the committee's work on the so-called "dodgy dossier" which claimed Iraq's weapons of mass destruction could be launched within 45 minutes.

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, the Government's e-envoy, and he took a break from Government service between 2001 and 2004 to live in Western Australia, where he worked on a range of IT and government issues.

Mr Allan is an untypical civil servant, and his appointment raised eyebrows after it emerged he ran a website for fans of late 60s hippie band The Grateful Dead.

The site lists single and album details as well as fan trivia.

During a rail strike in the 1980s, he windsurfed along the Thames wearing a suit, tie and bowler hat and carrying an umbrella and briefcase.

He came unstuck when a gust of wind blew him from his board near Big Ben.
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