The former head of the British Intelligence service and author Stella Rimington was the first female (and publicly-named) MI5 chief, as well as the inspiration for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films.

Stella Rimington has died, aged 90. Her spy novels, written from her secret service experience, provide fascinating insights into a clandestine world.

Stella Rimington, the first female chief of Britain's MI5 intelligence agency and later a successful thriller writer who was also the inspiration for Judi Dench's M in the James Bond films, has died,