Experts to test British Embassy for radiation

A team of experts from Britain investigating the death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko are to carry out “precautionary tests” for radiation at the British Embassy in Moscow, the British foreign office said tonight.

A British foreign office spokesman said the tests will be carried out in one room of the embassy by a team of experts who have travelled to the Russian capital from Britain.

Amid growing diplomatic tension over the continued furore, he stressed the tests were just being undertaken as a precaution and the experts “did not expect to find anything”.

The spokesman said: “Precautionary tests are taking place in one room in the British Embassy in Moscow. They are just precautionary tests and they do not expect to find anything.”

He added the team of experts had already arrived in the city after leaving Britain earlier today but could not say when the tests would be completed.

Nine Scotland Yard detectives flew to Russia this morning to investigate the death of the former spy, who died on November 23 after allegedly being poisoned with the radioactive isotope Polonium-210.