August 23rd 1985: West German spy chief defects to East

The head of West German counter-intelligence has been unmasked as an East German spy. Hans-Joachim Tiedge's treachery became known after he defected to East Germany yesterday. The spy chief's defection was made public by the East German authorities earlier today. They also revealed that in the past 18 months they had arrested nearly 170 West German agents in East Germany after acting on intelligence from Mr Tiedge. When security officials searched Mr Tiedge's home in Cologne they found many top-secret documents. The West German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, has described the former spy chief's defection as "catastrophic". In what is rapidly turning into the biggest spy scandal in recent West Germany history, three other key government staff have also disappeared. A link to Mr Tiedge's defection appears likely.