Blake the enigmatic spy has died at 98

 

George Blake, one of cold war’s notorious double agents has died aged 98, according to RIA Novosti.

The former MI6 officer, was also the Soviet spy for 9 years handing over information that led to the betrayal of 40 MI6 agents in Eastern Europe. He was jailed in 1960, but escaped in 1966 and fled to Russia.

Vladimir Putin the Russian President described him as an “outstanding professional of special courage and life endurance. Throughout the years of his hard and strenuous efforts he made a truly invaluable contribution to ensuring the strategic parity and the preservation of peace on the planet. Our hearts will always cherish the warm memory of the legendary man”.

Born as George Behar on 11 November 1922 in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, to a Spanish jew who had fought with the British Army during World War One and acquired British citizenship. Blake worked for the Dutch resistance during World War Two, before fleeing to British-controlled Gibraltar, and was later asked to join the intelligence service. Blake said he estimated that he betrayed over 500 western agents although he denied suggestions that 42 of them had died as a result of his actions.

He was exposed when a Polish secret service officer Michael Goleniewski, defected to the West, bringing his mistress and details of a Soviet mole in British Intelligence. Blake was recalled to London and arrested, and at the trial he pleaded guilty to five counts of passing information to the Soviet Union.

In 1955, Blake’s escape from HMP Wormwood Scrubs became the focus of the play cell mates, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall.