The row over who should de-contaminate the home of murdered Russian Alexander Litvinenko is rumbling on while the house remains sealed off.

His Muswell Hill house, vacant since November 2006 when he died from radiation poisoning, was declared a no-go zone last month as it still contains traces of Polonium 210 - the radioactive metalloid which killed him.

Councillor Nilgun Canver declared last week that the council was unable to write a blank cheque for clean-up costs and it would remain in its radioactive state until the owner, who was renting it to former Russian spy Mr Litvinenko and his family, paid the bill.

But Russian millionaire Boris Berezovsky, who apparently owns the house on Osier Crescent through a property company, has refused to pay.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Berezovsky, who according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List has a £500m fortune, dismissed the council demand for cash as ridiculous.

He said: "The statement from the council is ridiculous. It's not that I don't want to help it. I am helping, but I disagree that we are responsible for this.

"Those responsible for the murder should pay for any damage, as well as compensate all those affected by this terror attack in London."

The council remained tight-lipped on whether it had been in contact with Mr Berezovsky.

A council spokesman said: "We are writing to the UK-based solicitors for Landry Ltd to reiterate our expectation that the owners will pay for the cost of remediation work at the Litvinenko property. We will await their response."

Meanwhile, local residents are furious that nothing is being done to clean up the three-bedroom house.

Mike Russell, from Muswell Hill, said: "The house is a public health hazard and it is the council that should be dealing with this problem. It should clear up the house and then try to claim the money back from the owners afterwards.

"It is just not acceptable really that they are waiting for the owners. We could be waiting forever."

If the house is never cleaned, it is estimated that the radioactivity left over from the ex-spy's poisoning will have decayed away in a couple of years.

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