20/11/2006

Poisoned former KGB man remains in serious condition

A former KGB colonel remains in a serious condition in a London hospital after being poisoned with toxic chemical thallium.

Alexander Litvinenko, 44, an outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, is believed to have fallen ill after attending a meeting with a contact in a sushi bar in Piccadilly on November 1.

It is understood that the former KGB colonel, who came to Britain six years ago, was investigating the recent murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya and he claimed that he met with a contact who provided him with documents containing names of people who may have been involved in her murder.

Mr Litvinenko fell ill after this meeting, becoming seriously ill two weeks later. He is being treated at University College Hospital in London, where he is reportedly under armed guard. On Monday it was reported that he had been returned to intensive care as a precaution after his condition deteriorated slightly. According to reports, he has been given a 50/50 chance of surviving the next four weeks.

Scotland Yard confirmed that they were making "extensive inquiries" during their investigation into the poisoning, including interviews, toxicology tests and studying CCTV footage.

A spokesman for the Kremlin has dismissed claims that the Russian secret service was responsible for poisoning Mr Litvinenko.

Thallium is an odorless and tasteless chemical and was used in the past as both a rat poison and ant killer. However, it is no longer used in a number of countries because of safety concerns.

It has several industrial uses, including the manufacture of optical glass, low-temperature thermometers and green fireworks.

Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Hair loss is one of the most distinctive effects of thallium poisoning.

(KMcA)

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