“Action has to be taken” over Litvienko suspect

Gordon Brown has called the lack of co-operation from Russia in bringing the prime suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko before British courts "disappointing" following talks with the German Chancellor.

Speaking on his first overseas trip as Prime Minister Mr Brown said that it was an issue where a murder had taken place on UK soil putting innocent people at risk and prosecutors had made it clear who they want to try for the crime.

The Prime Minister said:

"We believe that there should be co-operation from the Russian Authorities in this. We are sad that the co-operation has not been forthcoming. We have therefore had to take the action that we have taken."

While Mr Brown would like the UK to maintain "the best of relationships with Russia" he said that:

"...people have got to understand that when a murder is committed on British soil, and when innocent people are put at risk by the method by which that murder is conducted, and when we have had a full police investigation and then we have the Independent Prosecuting Authority demanding that a certain person be arrested for the murder that has taken place and for the damage done to other civilians as a result of that, then we expect authorities in other parts of the world to co-operate with us in bringing that person to justice.

"I have no apologies for the action that we have taken, but I do want a resolution of this issue as soon as possible."

Chancellor Merkel added that both Germany and the European Union had given their "full support to investigating this".

The UK had earlier expelled four Russian diplomats. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that co-operation with Russia in a number of areas was "under review".

Mr Litvinenko died in London in November 2006 following exposure to the radioactive substance polonium-210.

Mr Brown and Chancellor Merkel had dinner together following the press conference before the PM returned to Britain.

Topics discussed included the European economic reform, the new European treaty, Africa and climate change.

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