A TEACHER from Northwich has revealed her life as a South African spy in a book published this week.

Agent 407, Olivia Forsyth, became the best known female spy of the apartheid era after being imprisoned by the ANC in Angola and escaping to the British Embassy in a story which made headlines around the world.

The government of Margaret Thatcher intervened to eventually get her out of Angola where Olivia had been held in a tiny cell in the notorious Quatro prison camp after her defection and offer to act as a double agent for the ANC.

Between 2003 and July last year Olivia, known as Olivia Myburgh, taught English at The Grange School, Hartford.

Days before her retirement she surprised the school assembly by revealing her incredible life story.

Also available from Amazon as an e-book, 'Agent 407' describes the recruitment of Olivia by the notorious Craig Williamson and her infiltration of ANC supporters, leadership of left wing student organisations while spying on them, her decision to defect to the ANC, two years of imprisonment, escape and the operation mounted by the South African police security to claim her as a heroine of their own.

Olivia moved to the UK in 2001 with her two daughters and briefly worked as a journalist in North Wales before training as a teacher.

After a number of short-term teaching contracts at schools in Abergele, Runcorn, Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, and Padgate Community High School, inWarrington, she joined the staff of The Grange School.

She moved from South Africa to live in Henllan, in Denbigh, near her late father, marrying Eric Langton, former editor in chief of Trinity Mirror Cheshire and ex-chairman of Chester Renaissance, in 2009.

They lived in Helsby, and briefly Waverton, until moving to live in Italy in April this year.

Olivia said: "What happened in my 20s almost seems as though it happened to someone else.

"When I came to the UK I found friendship and security.

"The pupils I taught were lovely but I kept my past life to myself, apart from a few close friends."

Commenting on the now famous assembly where she revealed her past to staff and pupils she said: "I think they were a bit shocked.

"When I hit the headlines after my release in 1988 there were so many half truths and lies printed that I always planned to write the book to set the record straight.

"Now seems a good time for it to be published."

The e-edition is available on Amazon