First female head of UK's MI5 secret service dies aged 90

Stella Rimington, the first woman to head the UK's domestic secret service MI5, has died at the age of 90, the spy agency announced on Monday.

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Rimington, who led MI5 from 1992 to 1996, was widely believed to be the inspiration behind the female role of M in the James Bond movies, played by UK star Judi Dench.

She was the first director-general of the intelligence service who was publicly named, as before Rimington's appointment in 1992, MI5 chiefs were never officially identified or photographed.

Publication of her identity caused a press frenzy.

"As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through long-standing barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership," the current MI5 director-general Ken McCallum said in a statement.