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Litvinenko inqury: Radiation 'at highest levels where suspect stayed'

A police officer investigating the poisoning of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has said the highest levels of radioactive contamination were recorded at the hotel where one of the prime suspects was staying.

Detective Inspector Craig Mascall told the public inquiry into Mr Litvinenko's death that traces of radioactivity were found throughout the Sheraton Park Lane hotel and in Andrei Lugovoi's room.

Mr Lugovoi, and Dmitri Kovtun deny any involvement in Litvinenko's death in 2006.

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  1. Juliet Bremner: ITV News Correspondent

Widow describes Litvinenko's relationship with Berezovsky

The widow of poisoned spy Alexander Litvinenko, Marina, has been describing her late husband's relationship with the Boris Berezovsky. Marina explains how Alexander Litvinenko was assigned to monitor the Russian multimillionaire after he was the target of an assassination attempt.

Court sketch of Marina Litvinenko. Credit: ITV News/ Priscilla Coleman

Following the murder of a popular head of a TV station in 1995 there were suspicions that Berezovsky might be to blame. Litvinenko arrived at Berezovsky's office and found two police officers trying to remove him. He intervened and refused to let the officers take him away.

Marina told inquiry he was "afraid he was going to be taken somewhere and anything could happen to him. They could say he had a heart attack and a then make it easier to blame Boris Berezovsky's for this crime"

After he had prevented the security services from removing him Berezovsky was very grateful: "Boris Berezovsky said many times that Sacha had saved his life and he was very grateful," Marina told the court.

The inquiry has already heard that when Litvinenko claimed asylum in the UK Mr Berezovsky helped to finance him and his family.

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Litvinenko inqury: Radiation 'at highest levels where suspect stayed'

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