Alexander Litvinenko death: Home secretary to announce inquiry

Alexander Litvinenko's death in 2006 clouded relations between London and Moscow

An inquiry will be held into the death of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, the Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to announce.

Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB officer, died in 2006 in a London hospital after he was allegedly poisoned with radio active polonium.

The investigation is set to examine whether the Russian state was behind his death.

Mrs May is due to publish a written statement to Parliament later.

A government spokeswoman said: "An announcement in relation to the death of Alexander Litvinenko is due to be made on Tuesday morning.

"We will provide no further details until an announcement has been made to the House."

'Strained relations'

The expected announcement comes after the government had previously resisted calls for a public inquiry, saying it would first "wait and see" what a judge-led inquest found.

However, in 2013 a coroner ruled that a public inquiry - which could have wider powers than an inquest - would be better placed to establish how Mr Litvinenko died.

Ministers still refused to launch an inquiry, which prompted a legal challenge by Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina.

She said only a public inquiry would uncover the Russian state's alleged role in her husband's 2006 death from radiation poisoning.

In February, the High Court said the Home Office had been wrong to rule out an inquiry before the outcome of an inquest.

BBC political correspondent Norman Smith said sources had been playing down suggestions the timing of the announcement was linked to current tensions with Moscow over the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine.

However, he said the timing can "only further test the already strained relations" between London and Moscow.