Litvinenko Post-Mortem 'Most Dangerous Ever'

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A pathologist for Alexander Litvinenko's post-mortem has said it was one of the most dangerous examinations ever undertaken.

Dr Benjamin Swift said the former Russian agent's body represented a considerable contamination hazard to the hospital where the examination was carried out after he was poisoned by polonium-210 in November 2006.

Those involved in the examination had needed to wear two white protective suits with hoods fed with filtered air, he said.

Giving evidence to the inquiry into Mr Litvinenko's death, Dr Swift said: "It was probably the most dangerous post-mortem that's ever been conducted."

Fellow pathologist Dr Nathaniel Carey said that Mr Litvinenko, who lost all his hair before his death, showed signs of multi-organ failure as a result of acute radiation poisoning.

"It appears Mr Litvinenko ingested a large quantity of polonium-210 largely if not wholly by oral ingestion, rather than by inhalation," he said.

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Gallery: Police Photo Evidence From Litvinenko Inquiry

The teapot from the Millennium Hotel which was allegedly used to poison Mr Litvinenko as he met two Russian men in July 2006 - it has been illustrated to show levels of ionising radiation, measured in counts per second (CPS), with the highest levels coloured purple

A police photograph of the same teapot, with a scale rule next to it

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Forensic markings left by police on a chair at the Pine Bar at the Millennium Hotel, indicating radiation hotspots from polonium 210 used in the poisoning of Russian exile Alexander Litvinenko

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Computer-generated image of the Pine Bar, with two chairs coloured purple to indicate exceedingly high radiation levels detected

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A computer image of the Pine Bar plan layout where Mr Litvinenko met the two contacts, showing the two high-radiation chairs

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"The calculated amount absorbed was in far excess of known survivability limits."

Asked if there was anything in Mr Litvinenko's clinical history inconsistent with acute radiation syndrome, Dr Cary said: "No. In effect, the polonium-210 detected is the smoking gun in the case. It shows you what happened."

Ben Emmerson QC, representing Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina, told the inquiry that murder suspect Andrei Lugovoi gave a television interview to the Echo of Moscow on Tuesday night in response to the opening day of proceedings.

In the interview Mr Lugovoi claims the proceedings were resurrected after being suspended due to the exclusion of secret material, in response to the Ukrainian conflict.

Reading a translation of Mr Lugovoi's interview, Mr Emmerson said: "When the situation in Ukraine kicked off and the UK geographical interest... they had decided to dust off the moth balls and commence proceedings."

Mr Lugovoi said he "couldn't care less about what's happening" in Britain in response to the start of the inquiry, Mr Emmerson added.

Images released as part of the inquiry have laid bare the high levels of radiation found in the hotel rooms of his suspected killers.

They also reveal "very high" radiation in the locations where they met Mr Litvinenko, including on the teapot which was allegedly used to poison him in London's Millennium Hotel.

The inquiry heard Mr Litvinenko explicitly implicated Russian President Vladimir Putin in his killing in the days leading up to his death.

In an impassioned opening statement, Mr Emmerson said Mr Putin's connection to the killing would be unveiled.

The controversy generated by Mr Litvinenko's killing plunged Anglo-Russian relations to a post-Cold War low.

As ties improved though, Britain rejected holding an inquiry in 2013, but changed its mind last July, although it said the political Ukrainian situation was not a factor.

The inquiry continues.

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