Litvinenko inquest: Judge appointed to oversee inquest

9 August 2012 Last updated at 10:12 ET

A High Court judge has been appointed to hold the inquest into the death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned in London in 2006.

Mr Litvinenko, 43, is thought to have been poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 after having tea with two Russians at a hotel in November 2006.

Former KGB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun returned to Moscow.

High Court Judge Sir Robert Owen will hold a pre-inquest review in public on 20 September.

Sir Robert, who has been appointed an Assistant Deputy Coroner, wants to hold the review so he can give "directions as to the conduct of the inquest".

Earlier this year the justice secretary wrote to Deputy Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe, who was then in charge of the inquest, to ask for clarification about