Litvinenko case provokes wave of public intrigue

Russia has issued visas to a team of Scotland Yard experts investigating the death of Alexander Litvinenko. Meanwhile new far-fetching revelations about the controversial story appear in Britain's media every day.

According to Britain's Observer newspaper, the 43 year old ex-officer was intending to blackmail Russian businessmen and FSB officers. He had access to security service documents, which, if published, could have damaged the reputation of powerful Russians, the paper claimed.

The Sunday Express carried an article alleging Litvinenko was linked to Al-Qaeda. The paper said he possibly wanted to sell radioactive materials to terrorists, which would enable them to create a “dirty” bomb.

And the British tabloid, the News of the World, claimed it had information about a man from the Russian secret service, named only as Igor, who intended to kill Litvinenko.