Stella Rimington, First Woman To Lead UK's MI5 Dies At 90

Stella Rimington was the first woman to head MI5, and the first leader of the UK's domestic secret service to be publicly named (Credit: AFP)

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.

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.