6:53pm UK, Tuesday December 21, 2010
Britain and Russia have each expelled a diplomat from their embassies in a row over spying, it has emerged.
It follows allegations by British intelligence services of "blatant spying" on the part of Russia, said Sky News' foreign editor Tim Marshall.
He said: "Britain claims clear evidence of espionage activities on the Russian side in the UK."
An allegation was made by British officials on December 10 in response to "clear evidence of activities by the Russian intelligence services against UK interests".
That same day, Britain asked for the official involved to leave Russia's embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens, west London.
The Russian embassy in London. Pic: Russian embassy website
Russia responded almost a week later by asking for the removal of a British diplomat in Moscow. Britain was adamant there had been no untoward activity by its diplomat, said Marshall.
In a written statement to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "We remain open to a more productive relationship with Russia, as with any other country, on the basis of respect for our laws."
William Hague with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov earlier this year
Sky sources said the case was not linked to the arrest this month of Katia Zatuliveter, 25, a Russian working as an aide for Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock.
The two countries have sought to mend ties damaged by the 2006 killing in London of Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko with a rare radioactive isotope.
Prime Minister David Cameron last month accepted an invitation to visit Russia next year and Mr Hague has already been to Moscow since taking up his role in the Cabinet.
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