The author of that explosive Trump dossier was MI6's 'eminent specialist' on Russia

LONDON - The author of the explosive dossier linking US President-elect Donald Trump to Russia was an "eminent specialist" on the Eastern European nation for the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), according to The Guardian.

Citing information from Christopher Steele's former colleagues and friends, the newspaper revealed that far from being an architect of so-called "fake news," the 52-year-old is a credible professional with years of experience spying on Russia.

The Guardian story revealed that:

• Steele was the former head of MI6's Russia desk
• He focused on Soviet affairs after joining MI6 and spent two years living in Moscow in the early 1990s
• Sources told the newspaper that Steele was one of the first to recognise that the poisoning of KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was a Russian state "hit"
• Steele has been barred from Russia for more than 20 years, but has maintained a network of sources in the country
• He is "distrustful of the media" and prized his anonymity

A former Foreign Office official told The Guardian: "The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue. Chris is an experienced and highly regarded professional. He's not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip. If he puts something in a report, he believes there's sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering."

The source admitted that Steele's dossier is not perfect, but said US intelligence officials at the CIA would have taken it seriously because of "the author's track record." His findings have yet to be confirmed, however.

Steele, who is now the director of London-based Orbis Business Intelligence, fled his Surrey home on Wednesday in fear for his life, according to The Daily Telegraph. He is "terrified for his and his family's safety," The Telegraph said.