LONDON, March 26 (UPI) -- Britain said it asked China to investigate the death of a Briton apparently linked to the family of a Chinese Politburo member missing since mid-March.
Neither Bo Xilai, the Politburo member, nor his wife has been seen or heard from since he was dismissed March 15 from his post as the Communist Party secretary of Chongqing municipality, The New York Times reported.
Neil Heywood, the British man, was found dead in his hotel room in November in Chongqing in south-central China. Local authorities said he died of alcohol poisoning.
But a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said Monday the British government asked for a new investigation into Heywood's death "based on concerns raised to us privately by British citizens in China."
"We asked the Chinese to investigate the case further, and it is up to them to take forward this investigation," the spokesman said.
The Times said Bo was forced out in a scandal involving Wang Lijun, Chongqing's former police chief and vice mayor.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported Monday Wang had told Bo of his belief Heywood was poisoned and that created friction between them. A source also told the Journal Wang had claimed Heywood had a business dispute involving Bo's wife, Gu Kailai.
The Times said Wang alleged Bo had taken away his police duties and demoted him.
Wang said he feared for his safety and fled Feb. 6 to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu, about 170 miles northwest of Chongqing, and asked for political asylum. About a day later, the Times said, Chinese security officials took him to Beijing.
Chinese authorities have said they would report on an investigation into his activities but have not done so, the Times said.
