Latest: An Irish diplomat is expected to be thrown out of Russia in retaliation for the expulsion of one of their officials here.

Poisoned former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal wrote to Vladimir Putin asking to be pardoned and to be able to visit his home country, a friend has said.

Russia has been stockpiling the nerve agent used in the Salisbury spy attack for a decade, Boris Johnson has claimed.

Latest: The police officer who was left seriously ill after assisting poisoned ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia has been named by sources as Sergeant Nick Bailey.