UK monitors four planes for radiation in spy probe

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) Britain is monitoring a Russian plane and three British aircraft in an ever widening probe into the death from radiation poisoning of a former Russian spy that has heightened tensions with Moscow.

Other planes may need to be tracked, Home Secretary John Reid told parliament as he pledged there would be no political barriers to the probe.

Reid said police had found radioactive traces at 12 out of 24 locations being checked in connection with the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who became an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He accused Putin of ordering his death but the Kremlin and Russia's foreign spy service have denied any involvement.

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.

A fourth plane being monitored, a Boeing 737 leased by Russian carrier Transaero that landed at London's Heathrow Airport today, was given the all clear.

''There is one other Russian plane, that we know, that we think we would be interested in,'' Reid said. ''There may be other airplanes of which we don't at this stage know.'' SUSPICIONS The announcement about the planes and their destinations could rekindle suspicions of a Moscow link to the poisoning.

Alex Goldfarb, a close friend of Litvinenko, told reporters in London he suspected the radiation had come from Moscow.

''Alexander was convinced Mr Putin was personally involved in this,'' he said as an inquest into Litvinenko's death was opened and promptly adjourned.

In Moscow, Anatoly Safonov, Putin's counter-terrorism adviser, told Reuters: ''As we said before, we are open and willing to offer all the help needed.'' Reid told parliament that Moscow had promised cooperation to the ''highest level'' and that British police would use all the powers they needed to search planes.

''There certainly will be no political prohibition on the police following where the evidence leads them,'' he said.

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.

In Russia, the Transport Ministry ordered international airports to step up security controls on foreign carriers.

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

Experts said Litvinenko's death raised serious questions about Britain's ability to deal with a radiation scare.

''We get one assassin coming in with a bit of radioactivity and the whole system falls to pieces,'' John Large, an independent nuclear expert, told Reuters. ''We can't handle one radiation incident, let alone someone exploding a dirty bomb.'' He noted doctors had failed to diagnose the nuclear poison in Litvinenko's body until three weeks after he fell ill, leading to concern medical staff may have been contaminated.

REUTERS PB RN2228