The death of Mark Felt, better known as Deep Throat, added a postscript on Friday to an era of political skulduggery and journalistic endeavour.

Mark Felt, the secret informant ”Deep Throat” in the Watergate scandal that led to the downfall of president Richard Nixon in 1974, has died.

The Bush administration will brace itself on Monday morning for a round of adverse publicity with the appearance of a new exposé from Bob Woodward.