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Boris Berezovsky death: Chemical hazard police search house Boris Berezovsky death: Chemical hazard police search house
(about 5 hours later)
Police with expertise in environments contaminated with chemical, biological and nuclear material are searching the house of the late exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky.Police with expertise in environments contaminated with chemical, biological and nuclear material are searching the house of the late exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky.
Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found dead on Saturday, and a Thames Valley police cordon remains in place as police investigate his unexplained death. Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found dead on Saturday and police are currently treating his death as unexplained.
The body remains at the Berkshire house while the search - described as a precaution - takes place, police said. His body remains at the Berkshire house while the search - described as a precaution - takes place.
They say local people are not at risk. He emigrated to the UK in 2000 after falling out with Russia's president.
The ambulance service was called to the Ascot house of Mr Berezovsky at 15:18 GMT on Saturday. His body was reportedly found in a bath. The business tycoon amassed a fortune in the 1990s after the privatisation of state assets following the collapse of Soviet Communism.
Wanted man He survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.
A Thames Valley police update said: "Specially trained officers are currently at the scene, including CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] trained officers, who are conducting a number of searches as a precaution. In 2003 he won political asylum to stay in Britain on the grounds that his life would be in danger in Russia.
"This is to enable officers to carry out an investigation into the man's death." The tycoon's wealth is thought to have considerably diminished in recent years, leaving him struggling to pay debts in the wake of costly court cases.
Litvinenko's friend
In 2011, Mr Berezovsky reportedly lost more than £100m in a divorce settlement. And, last year, he lost a £3bn ($4.7bn) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
In an interview with a Forbes magazine journalist Mr Berezovsky gave on the eve of his death, he said his life no longer made sense and he wished he could return to Russia.
On Saturday a Kremlin spokesman said that Mr Berezovsky had recently written to Mr Putin, saying he wanted to go home.
Mr Berezovsky's body was reportedly found in a bath on Saturday afternoon. An ambulance was called to his Ascot house at 15:18 GMT.
Thames Valley police said: "Specially trained officers are currently at the scene, including CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] trained officers, who are conducting a number of searches as a precaution."
Supt Stuart Greenfield said: "We are aware the cordon is causing disruption to local residents and we apologise for any inconvenience, but it is important we take all necessary measures to ensure a full and thorough investigation can be carried out.Supt Stuart Greenfield said: "We are aware the cordon is causing disruption to local residents and we apologise for any inconvenience, but it is important we take all necessary measures to ensure a full and thorough investigation can be carried out.
"I would like to reassure residents that we are confident there is no risk to the wider community.""I would like to reassure residents that we are confident there is no risk to the wider community."
He said the property was part of a large estate, so a number of roads were closed "and will remain so for the time being".He said the property was part of a large estate, so a number of roads were closed "and will remain so for the time being".
A former Kremlin power-broker whose fortunes declined under President Vladimir Putin, Mr Berezovsky emigrated to the UK in 2000.
He was a wanted man in Russia, an opponent of Mr Putin, and had survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.
Court cases
Mr Berezovsky was a close friend of murdered Russian emigre and former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after he was poisoned with the radioactive material polonium-210 while drinking tea at a London meeting.Mr Berezovsky was a close friend of murdered Russian emigre and former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after he was poisoned with the radioactive material polonium-210 while drinking tea at a London meeting.
Without naming Mr Berezovsky, the Kremlin has accused its foreign-based opponents of organising the assassination - a claim Mr Berezovsky denied. He accused Mr Putin of being behind the death. Without naming Mr Berezovsky, the Kremlin has accused its foreign-based opponents of organising the assassination. It was thought that Russia was, in part referring, to Mr Berezovsky.
BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said an interview Mr Berezovsky gave on the eve of his death might shed some light on his state of mind. He denied the allegation and accused Mr Putin of personally being behind Mr Litvinenko's death.
In the interview with a journalist from Forbes magazine on Friday, Mr Berezovsky said that he had changed his mind on many things, his life no longer made sense and he wished he could return to Russia. Russian media have described Mr Berezovsky's death as "the end of an era".
Last night a Kremlin spokesman said that Mr Berezovsky had recently written to Mr Putin, saying he wanted to go home. On its website, the pro-Kremlin paper Komsomolskaya Pravda describes Mr Berezovsky as having been "clever, cunning, resourceful... a master of chaos".
The tycoon's wealth is thought to have considerably diminished in recent years, leaving him struggling to pay debts in the wake of costly court cases. Meanwhile, Novaya Gazeta - which is normally critical of the Kremlin - described him as someone who "viewed Russia as a chess board", albeit one on which "only he would be allowed to move the pieces".
Last year, Mr Berezovsky lost a £3bn ($4.7bn) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.