Russian spy was killed by radiation
24th November 2006
Alexander Litvinenko died yesterday
The British goverment have confirmed the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by radiation.
A large quantity of alpha radiation - probably from a substance called polonium-210 - was detected in Mr Litvinenko's urine, Roger Cox, director of the HPA's centre for radiation, chemicals and environmental hazards, said. It was 'unlikely' this could have been from natural causes, he added.
The agency's chief executive, Pat Troop, said that the high level indicated "he would either have to eaten it inhaled it or taken it in through a wound."
"We know he had a major dose," she said.
Litvinenko, a vociferous critic of the Russian government, suffered heart failure late Thursday after days in intensive care at London's University College Hospital.
Cox said the risk to medical staff who treated the former spy was "very small."
He said it was too early to say whether there was a radiation risk to the public at the restaurant where Litvinenko dined before falling ill on Nov. 1.
Earlier, Home Secretary John Reid said Litvinenko's death Thursday night was "linked to the presence of a radioactive substance in his body."
Reid, the country's top law-and-order official, said experts were searching for "residual radioactive material" at a number of locations.
Prof Cox said he was not able to say how much radiation would have been required to kill Mr Litvinenko.
He said: "As far as the dose required of this substance to kill somebody, that will I trust come from our investigations. I can't give an answer at the moment because of the complex behaviour of this sort of substance."
He added he could not say where the radiation would have come from.
Dr Troop said the HPA investigation would in part be focusing on the hospital. It would be looking at the number of people who had come into contact with Mr Litvinenko during his stay, to establish the risk to them.
She said: "Until we complete this process we don't know what that number is. We are working with staff to draw up a list, we are working through that.
"There will be a minimum of tens of people. He was in hospital for several weeks and a number of staff looked after him."
The post mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko's body has been delayed while a risk assessment is carried out to see if it is safe to perform the procedure, and if so, what precautions are necessary.
The inquest will open at some point in the coming days at St Pancras Coroner's Court in north London.
Mr Cox said polonium was used in industrial anti-static devices. It can apparently be purchased via the internet.
In Mr Litvinenko's deathbed statement, which was read out today by his close friend Alex Goldfarb, he spoke directly to the Russian president.
"I think that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition," he said.
"You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed.
"You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilised value. You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilised men and women."
Mr Litvinenko's father Walter, who arrived in Britain from Russia only three days ago, spoke outside his son's hospital this morning of his anger.
He said "a terrible thing" had happened and accused Mr Putin's government of being behind his son's death.
"My son died yesterday and he was killed by a little tiny nuclear bomb," he said.
"It was so small that you could not see it. But the people who killed him have big nuclear bombs and missiles and those people should not be trusted."
Speaking in Russian, Mr Litvinenko, a physician, described his son as "very courageous" and said he had endured an "excruciating death" with dignity.
He added of the Russian government: "This regime, if we just let it go on, if we just go about our daily business as usual, this regime will get all of us."
The Foreign Office said it had discussed the issue with Russian diplomats. But a spokeswoman denied reports that it had informed Moscow it was being treated as a "serious matter".
"We have routine meetings with the (Russian) Embassy, as you would expect, and the subject has arisen during the course of those discussions," the spokeswoman said.
Asked what the Foreign Office's message was, the spokeswoman said it was that the death was "subject to a continuing police investigation".
The HPA this afternoon confirmed that traces of radiation had been found at the sushi bar and at the London hotel.
However, a spokeswoman said they were unable to confirm whereabouts in each of the premises the substance had been found.
Tonight there were three police vans parked outside the Millennium Hotel in London's Grosvenor Square, where Mr Litvinenko met two men on the day he fell ill.
One uniformed officer guarded the revolving door at the entrance of the 18th century townhouse.
According to a source there, police entered the hotel in the early hours of the morning and have been concentrating their search on two bars and a restaurant run by celebrity chef Brian Turner, all on the ground floor.
"It's very low key," the source said, adding that he had heard nothing about any traces of radiation being discovered.
The hotel, which charges upwards of £155 for a double room per night, was open as normal.
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• Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin described the death as a tragedy, but added that he saw no proof it had been a "violent death."
Putin, who extended his condolences to the family of Alexander Litvinenko, said British medical documents did not show "that it was a result of violence, this is not a violent death, so there is no ground for speculations of this kind."
dailymail.co.uk
24th November 2006
Alexander Litvinenko died yesterday
The British goverment have confirmed the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by radiation.
A large quantity of alpha radiation - probably from a substance called polonium-210 - was detected in Mr Litvinenko's urine, Roger Cox, director of the HPA's centre for radiation, chemicals and environmental hazards, said. It was 'unlikely' this could have been from natural causes, he added.
The agency's chief executive, Pat Troop, said that the high level indicated "he would either have to eaten it inhaled it or taken it in through a wound."
"We know he had a major dose," she said.
Litvinenko, a vociferous critic of the Russian government, suffered heart failure late Thursday after days in intensive care at London's University College Hospital.
Cox said the risk to medical staff who treated the former spy was "very small."
He said it was too early to say whether there was a radiation risk to the public at the restaurant where Litvinenko dined before falling ill on Nov. 1.
Earlier, Home Secretary John Reid said Litvinenko's death Thursday night was "linked to the presence of a radioactive substance in his body."
Reid, the country's top law-and-order official, said experts were searching for "residual radioactive material" at a number of locations.
Prof Cox said he was not able to say how much radiation would have been required to kill Mr Litvinenko.
He said: "As far as the dose required of this substance to kill somebody, that will I trust come from our investigations. I can't give an answer at the moment because of the complex behaviour of this sort of substance."
He added he could not say where the radiation would have come from.
Dr Troop said the HPA investigation would in part be focusing on the hospital. It would be looking at the number of people who had come into contact with Mr Litvinenko during his stay, to establish the risk to them.
She said: "Until we complete this process we don't know what that number is. We are working with staff to draw up a list, we are working through that.
"There will be a minimum of tens of people. He was in hospital for several weeks and a number of staff looked after him."
The post mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko's body has been delayed while a risk assessment is carried out to see if it is safe to perform the procedure, and if so, what precautions are necessary.
The inquest will open at some point in the coming days at St Pancras Coroner's Court in north London.
Mr Cox said polonium was used in industrial anti-static devices. It can apparently be purchased via the internet.
In Mr Litvinenko's deathbed statement, which was read out today by his close friend Alex Goldfarb, he spoke directly to the Russian president.
"I think that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition," he said.
"You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed.
"You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilised value. You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilised men and women."
Mr Litvinenko's father Walter, who arrived in Britain from Russia only three days ago, spoke outside his son's hospital this morning of his anger.
He said "a terrible thing" had happened and accused Mr Putin's government of being behind his son's death.
"My son died yesterday and he was killed by a little tiny nuclear bomb," he said.
"It was so small that you could not see it. But the people who killed him have big nuclear bombs and missiles and those people should not be trusted."
Speaking in Russian, Mr Litvinenko, a physician, described his son as "very courageous" and said he had endured an "excruciating death" with dignity.
He added of the Russian government: "This regime, if we just let it go on, if we just go about our daily business as usual, this regime will get all of us."
The Foreign Office said it had discussed the issue with Russian diplomats. But a spokeswoman denied reports that it had informed Moscow it was being treated as a "serious matter".
"We have routine meetings with the (Russian) Embassy, as you would expect, and the subject has arisen during the course of those discussions," the spokeswoman said.
Asked what the Foreign Office's message was, the spokeswoman said it was that the death was "subject to a continuing police investigation".
The HPA this afternoon confirmed that traces of radiation had been found at the sushi bar and at the London hotel.
However, a spokeswoman said they were unable to confirm whereabouts in each of the premises the substance had been found.
Tonight there were three police vans parked outside the Millennium Hotel in London's Grosvenor Square, where Mr Litvinenko met two men on the day he fell ill.
One uniformed officer guarded the revolving door at the entrance of the 18th century townhouse.
According to a source there, police entered the hotel in the early hours of the morning and have been concentrating their search on two bars and a restaurant run by celebrity chef Brian Turner, all on the ground floor.
"It's very low key," the source said, adding that he had heard nothing about any traces of radiation being discovered.
The hotel, which charges upwards of £155 for a double room per night, was open as normal.
----------------------
• Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin described the death as a tragedy, but added that he saw no proof it had been a "violent death."
Putin, who extended his condolences to the family of Alexander Litvinenko, said British medical documents did not show "that it was a result of violence, this is not a violent death, so there is no ground for speculations of this kind."
dailymail.co.uk
