Britain 'will expel Russian diplomats over Litvinenko'

Russian diplomats are facing expulsion from Britain as the crisis over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko escalated today.

Moscow and London are on the brink of a damaging showdown after President Vladimir Putin refused to hand over the main suspect in the poisoning of the former spy.

The Foreign Office is expected to announce a tough response as early as next week after Moscow formally confirmed it would not extradite Andrei Lugovoi. Downing Street is considering a range of "punitive measures" including ejecting diplomats - a move certain to prompt a "tit for tat" response from Moscow.

The expulsions would be the most serious breakdown in relations between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.

"The Government is looking at a range of options," said a Whitehall source. "There is a process going on at the moment in which those options are being examined. But you can expect something to be announced to parliament very soon."

One former diplomat said it was "entirely likely" that Britain could kick out a handful of middle and lower ranking diplomats from the Russian Embassy - the first time it has done so in more than a decade.

Other options are limited as Britain no longer gives Russia direct aid, removing the possibilityof cutting funding, and reducing business co-operation would damage British investors in the £33 billion market.

Ministers were furious that Russia appeared to have "got away with" such a serious incident, which exposed hundreds of people to the radioactive substance polonium-210.

President Putin has described Britain's demand for the extradition of Mr Lugovoi, another former KGB agent, as "stupid" while a Russian foreign ministry spokesman warned that London was in danger of jeopardising its relationship with Moscow.

Downing Street rejected an offer for Mr Lugovoi to be tried in Russia, saying Britain had no confidence in the fairness or impartiality of Russian courts.

Mr Lugovoi, who has protested his innocence, said: "I have no reasons to trust a British court. Public opinion has already been prejudiced by the British media."

Mr Litvinenko signed a statement on his deathbed pointing the finger at Mr Putin and Kremlin security services.

[link to www.dailymail.co.uk]