Justice secretary Ken Clarke has agreed to help cover the estimated £4m cost of the inquest into the death of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko – which could become one of the most expensive in British history.
The decision was made after deputy Inner North London coroner, Dr Shirley Radcliffe, successfully lobbied the Ministry of Justice on behalf of four London boroughs – Camden, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets. The councils argued central government should help meet the potential cost of the inquest into the death of the former KGB agent, who became a staunch critic of the Kremlin once he was granted political asylum in the UK.
