Pizzas galore!

He made three visits to London in the fortnight before Mr Litvinenko fell ill and met him four times at various restaurants and bars.

Mr Lugovoy, who is a successful entrepreneur, was briefly imprisoned in Moscow after he left the FSB. After his release his business career thrived and his company is reported to be worth more than £100 million.

Two hotels in London in which he stayed had traces of polonium-210, as did a British Airways aircraft that Mr Lugovoy travelled on.

He was among three Russians who last met Mr Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel on November 1, the day that he fell ill.

Last night Mr Lugovoy told The Times that he and two business associates, Dmitri Kovtun and Vyacheslav Sokolenko, were ready to meet detectives.

The men have all denied involvement in any poison plot. Mr Lugovoy claims that he and his wife and children have been contaminated by polonium-210 and says that he is being “framed” for the killing.

Intelligence officials believe that a sizeable team was sent from Moscow to smuggle radioactive polonium-210 into Britain and to shadow Mr Litvinenko.

The judgment by British Intelligence has been strengthened by the knowledge that the FSB has legislative approval for eliminating terrorists and enemies of the state abroad, after the passing of a controversial anti-terrorism law in the summer.

The Yard team that arrived in Moscow last night has been told to take as long as it needs. Unlike in orthodox terrorist attacks, there is little chance that the killer is still in Britain and ready to strike again. Detectives have been warned to expect official obstruction from Moscow.

Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and his senior officers are being kept briefed daily on the progress of the investigation. The Health Protection Agency said that police have asked them to examine three addresses for traces of polonium-210.

£300,000 cost per week of the Metropolitan Police investigation

Source: New Scotland Yard

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