Lugovoy condemns British Government

Andrei Lugovoy repeatedly denied he is responsible for poisoning the former Russian secret agent with Polonium in London last year.

He said he was the victim of a biased Western media and would not travel to the UK because of blunders by the British authorities.

Mr Lugovoy said he did not know who killed Mr Litvinenko, who he claims was working for MI6, but suggested other Russian exiles may be involved.

He said: "The British Prime Minister has to keep his face. There is no proof, no evidence and they really missed the death of their agent."

Mr Lugovoy was answering questions from journalists in London via a satellite link during a radio show broadcast in Moscow.

He was joined by Dmitry Kovtun, a Russian businessman who also met Mr Litvenenko last November shortly before his death.

Russian authorities refused a British request to extradite Mr Lugovoy to face trial for murder sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.

In a sometimes bad-tempered interview, Mr Lugovoy made a series of claims against the British Government, Mr Litvinenko and other exiled Russians.

He said the British media was determined to misinterpret his words and to discredit Russia. Asked if he killed Mr Litvinenko, he said: "I openly and candidly say I did not kill him."