A notorious double agent, once dubbed “Hitler’s chief spy” during World War II, used Norbiton and Surbiton as his main bases of operations, it can be revealed.

Welshman Arthur Owens sent controlled messages to Nazi officials in Hamburg from Parklands, Surbiton, and later from Norbiton Avenue, Norbiton.

Under the codename Snow, a partial anagram of his name given to him by MI5, Owens’ life is unravelled through a new book by historian James Hayward.

The shady and at times treacherous life of the double agent, and his spying in the borough, is detailed in Double Agent Snow: The True Story of Arthur Owens, Hitler’s Chief Spy in England.

Mr Hayward said: “Some of it was sensitive information that MI5 would not have wanted sending over.

“He will have used a radio set in Surbiton to make broadcasts to Germany.”

Owens originally came to the attention of MI5 for his business trips to Germany in the 1930s.

After successfully providing British officials with information on German warships and Zeppelins, Owens was introduced to German spy Nicklaus Ritter in 1937.

But he was soon lured in by the money spying for Germany offered.

In 1939, Owens moved to 12 Parklands with his mistress and began using a transmitter to broadcast weather reports to Germany from the bathroom.

Mr Hayward added: “He just worked for whoever paid the most money really.

“One of his jobs was to send out daily weather broadcasts, but soon MI5 managed to find him and arrest him.”

After a brief stint in Wandsworth prison during the opening week of the war, Owens was released and moved to 9 Norbiton Avenue, Norbiton.

Here, he began relaying messages – this time controlled by MI5 – to his contacts in Hamburg.

His stay in Norbiton Avenue was brief as Owens’ increasing usefulness allowed MI5 to move him to a large house in Richmond.

Owens, however, continued to use rented properties in Kingston to send messages not authorised by MI5.

Despite this, he remained useful to MI5 during the war’s early years and helped deliver numerous German spies to the secret service.

Mistrust led to his arrest in 1941 and he remained in prison for four years. He was released after the Normandy landings in June 1944.

Double Agent Snow: The True Story of Arthur Owens, Hitler’s Chief Spy in England is available to buy now in book stores.