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Britain told Russia yesterday that its actions against the British Council were a “stain” on its reputation which was risking its standing in the world.

The council formally suspended operations in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg because of the campaign of intimidation against its staff, including the detention of Stephen Kinnock, son of the former Labour leader Lord Kinnock of Bedwellty. Lord Kinnock, who is chairman of the British Council, looked on from a Commons gallery as David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, described Russia’s behaviour as reprehensible.

He told how the Russian security services had summoned 20 local members of the council staff and asked them about a range of matters, including the health of family pets.

“The whole House will share the Government’s anger and dismay at the actions of the Russian Government. We saw similar actions during the Cold War but thought they had been put behind us,” he said. He added that the staff had been subject to “blatant intimidation” and said Russia’s action raised “serious questions about her observance of international law”.

The long-term cost to Russia was its “standing in the world as a responsible international player”. Mr Miliband made clear that he linked these “attacks” on the British Council with the death of Alexander Litvinenko. Britain would continue to “administer rigorously” restrictions made after Russia’s failure to extradite Britain’s prime suspect for the Litvineko murder, Andrei Lugovoy, last year.

“But we regard as entirely separate issues Mr Litvinenko’s murder and the activities of the British Council.” He said cultural activities should not be allowed to become a political football and this was why he had decided not to take similar action against Russian cultural activities, or measures against the two Russian diplomats in London dedicated to cultural work.He said: “Russia’s actions against the British Council are a stain on Russia’s reputation that will have been noted by countries all around the world.”

William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said that he “deplored” the “Soviet-era tactics” being carried out, calling them “deeply offensive”. The “harassment and intimidation” of British Council staff was “not acceptable” and was counter-productive.

Announcing the suspension of the offices, Martin Davidson, the council’s chief executive, said: “Our paramount consideration is the wellbeing of our staff and I feel we cannot continue our work without significant risk to them.”

Slovenia, which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, issued a strongly worded statement calling on Russia to “allow the British Council to operate freely and effectively . . . and to take no further actions that might hinder its activities”.

The confrontation has strained relations already at their worst since the Cold War. Russia demanded the council close its offices last month, saying that they were operating illegally. A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Moscow said that closure of the offices “should have happened a long time ago if the British side had based its approach on law and had not tried to dispute something that was obvious”.

Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the foreign relations committee of the Duma, Russia’s parliament, said that the council was free to resume its work once its status complied with Russian law.

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