A FAMOUS left-wing historian sensationally accused of being a Soviet spy was an old boy of an historic and well-known York school.

Declassified government papers suggest that Christopher Hill, who studied at St Peter's School, Clifton, had close links with a Soviet agent while head of the UK Foreign Office Russian Desk during the Second World War.

The papers also suggest he pushed pro-Soviet policy during his time at the Foreign Office, and that he concealed his membership of the Communist Party of Great Britain to take on the role.

York-born Mr Hill, who died last week aged 91, has been described as one of the 20th century's most influential historians.

He was a pupil at St Peter's from 1925 to 1931, and was described as "a good all rounder".

He was a school monitor, head of Clifton Rise house and played for the first team at both rugby and hockey.

Current St Peter's head teacher Andrew Trotman was a student at Balliol College, Oxford, during the 1970s, while Mr Hill was Master of the college.

Mr Trotman said he remembers Mr Hill as "an extremely helpful, attentive and caring man".

He said he was touched to receive a letter from Mr Hill when he took on the top job at St Peter's.

"It was written in the old, classic style, it was a lovely touch of him to send it."

Mr Trotman said he had never had any indications that Mr Hill was involved in espionage, and that the academic never came across as pro-Soviet.

He added: "He was always regarded as a Marxist historian and had certain views of the way society was emerging in the mid-20th century, but I really couldn't comment on whether he was the fourth or fifth man.

"Academics of the time would all have different views, it was never mentioned or talked about."

The "fourth or firth man" refers to the notorious Cambridge University spy ring, which saw "the third man" Kim Philby warn fellow spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean they were about to be exposed by MI5.

Updated: 09:00 Thursday, March 06, 2003