A British newspaper, The Daily Mail, claims the former Russian security officer, Aleksandr Litvinenko, who was poisoned in London last November was an MI6 agent. In Saturday's edition the paper said at the time of his death Mr Litvinenko was receiving aro

On the day he was poisoned he met another Russian former security officer, Andrey Lugovoy, who claims Mr Litvinenko tried to recruit him to work for MI6.

Britain says Andrey Lugovoy is the prime suspect in the murder case. In May, British authorities submitted a request for his extradition which Russia refused.

Litvinenko's widow, Marina, denies the claims that her husband worked for British Intelligence and has called on the EU to put more pressure on Russia to extradite Lugovoy.

The affair has caused relations between Russia and the UK to hit their lowest point since the end of the Soviet Union.