Britain is monitoring five planes for radiation in an ever-widening probe into the poisoning of a former Russian spy.

 

British Home Secretary John Reid said that radioactive traces had been found at 12 out of 24 locations being checked by police and pledged there would be no political barriers to the probe.

 

The Kremlin and Russia's foreign spy service have denied any involvement in the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who became an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

Litvinenko, who became a British citizen while living in London, died in the capital a week ago after being poisoned with radioactive polonium 210.

 

British Airways said three aircraft had been taken out of service as part of the probe. All had flown between Moscow and London, and one is still in Moscow.

 

The airline said "very low traces" of a radioactive substance had been found on the two planes being held in London.

 

Reid said scientists were monitoring a fourth aircraft for possible contamination, and that Britain was also interested in a fifth plane - a Russian aircraft. There could be more planes involved.

 

In Britain, thousands of BA passengers sought health reassurances from the airline after the announcement.

 

BA says the risk to health is low. But it faces a huge task tracing the 33,000 passengers who used the planes over a five-week period. It has set up helplines to give guidance to them.

 

Reid said Britain would contact the governments of every country where the planes may have landed.

 

(CRIENGLISH.com via news.com.au December 1, 2006)