Neil Heywood: Wall Of Silence Over UK Man's Death In China

The Chinese government has said it has "no information" about the death of British businessman Neil Heywood which has been linked to a political scandal engulfing the Communist Party.

Mr Heywood was found dead in a hotel room in the southern city of Chongqing last November.

Chinese police said he died of "excessive alcohol consumption".

His body was then cremated without an autopsy being performed.

But the British Embassy in Beijing has now asked the Chinese government to investigate after being made aware of "suspicions and rumours surrounding the death".

Sources have told Sky News that Mr Heywood was not a heavy drinker, was in good health, and was just 41 at the time of his death.

Mr Heywood had lived in China since the late 1990s, was married to a local woman with whom he had two children, and worked as a non-executive director for a Chinese Aston Martin dealer.

He also consulted for a strategic intelligence company that was founded by former MI6 officers.

Mr Heywood told several of his acquaintances that he enjoyed a close relationship with the family of Bo Xilai, a top Communist official who is now at the centre of a sensational political scandal. Read More