Radioactive spy's coffin barred from mosque

Mr Litvinenko, 43, who was poisoned with a lethal dose of polonium-210, converted to Islam shortly before his death in a London hospital exactly two weeks ago.

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His family had asked friends of the former KGB agent to attend Regent's Park Mosque for a full Muslim ceremony in which his coffin would be brought into the prayer hall.

But the authorities ruled that the potential for radiation being emitted from his body jeopardised the safety of the public.

This left mourners, including Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina and son Anatoly, from Muswell Hill, with no choice but to hold a small private prayer ceremony at the mosque without the coffin.

The drama happened as the Russian prosecutor general's office said it has opened a criminal case for the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko and the attempted killing of associate Dmitry Kovtun. Mr Kovtun was one of two Russians who met the spy at the Millennium Hotel in London days before his death. Traces of polonium have since been found there.

A senior source at the mosque said: "The normal custom for an Islamic funeral involves the closed coffin being brought in and the senior Imam saying a prayer for the soul of the deceased. Sadly, the family have not been able to get authorisation for this and the mosque has been informed by the police that the body is contaminated and, for public safety, we could not hold the correct funeral."

Mr Litvinenko's father Walter and younger brother Maxim were among the mourners. Also attending was Muslim communityleader Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui and Akhmed Zakayev, a former Chechen commander and former associate of Mr Litvinenko.

Earlier this week, Mr Litvinenko senior told of his son's conversion to Islam.

He said: "I came to visit him at the hospital and said that I put a candle for him in a church and prayed for his soul. He replied that he wanted to be buried according to Muslim tradition. I said that his will would be fulfilled."

After the prayers at the mosque, Mr Litvinenko's body, encased in an air-tight, radiation-proof coffin, was taken to a secret burial site, accompanied by security guards.