Britain EXPELS 23 Russian diplomats over nerve agent attack plunging into worst battle with Moscow since Cold War

Theresa May today plunged into the gravest battle with Russia since the Cold War as she unveiled a hardline response to the "reckless and despicable" attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

The Prime Minister announced 23 diplomats would be expelled as she condemned the nerve agent poisoning in a damning House of Commons statement.

Her move is set to prompt furious retaliation by the Kremlin.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared today: "Britain has continued to stage a political performance."

Novichok is said to be up to 10 times stronger than the chemical weapon VX

"Without concrete facts, it is a flagrant attempt to mislead the international community - to which we will have to respond."

Moscow flagrantly ignored a deadline of midnight last night to explain how Skripal, 66, his daughter Yulia, 33, and bystanders including DS Nick Bailey were hit with Novichok.

© Facebook Sergei and Yulia Skripal were left in a critical condition after the nerve agent attack

Britain said the nerve agent - up to 10 times deadlier than the feared chemical weapon VX - was produced by Russia.

Prime Minister Mrs May said it was "highly likely" Moscow was behind the attack - either deliberately using the nerve agent or losing control of it.

© Reuters Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left)

Yet foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said claims of his country's involvement were "rubbish" and the embassy refused to respond until the UK sends "samples" of the deadly agent.

Minutes before the statement - as Russia's ambassador to London arrived at the Foreign Office on foot - Mr Lavrov declared there had been "only regress, we don't see any progress."At the same time Britain's ambassador to Moscow confirmed he had discussed events around the poisoning with the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The United States, European Union and NATO all voiced support for Britain ahead of the statement and Mrs May discussed the case with the leaders of Germany and France.

Donald Trump, who also had a phone call with the Prime Minister, said yesterday: "It sounds to me like it would be Russia based on all of the evidence they have."

But Russia's embassy fired off a salvo of tweets last night warning the threat of sanctions would be met "with a response".

© PA A police officer outside The Mill pub near to the Maltings in Salisbury

Russia threatened last night to expel all British media in retaliation after Britain warned it could strip Russian broadcaster RT of its UK operating licence.

Lavrov said Russia would be ready to provide Britain with a response within 10 days if London submitted an official request, in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention.

"Instead of submitting such a request, Britain has continued to stage a political performance," Lavrov said.

© PA Military personnel in College Street Car Park in Salisbury`

"Without concrete facts, it is a flagrant attempt to mislead the international community, to which we will have to respond," the minister added.

Meanwhile police and MI5 will look into allegations that 14 other deaths on UK soil may be linked to Russia after Home Secretary Amber Rudd bowed to pressure.

© Facebook Meanwhile terror police are probing the death of Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov

And counter-terror police last night launched a probe into the death this week of Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov - who was a close friend of Vladimir Putin critic Boris Berezovsky.

Scotland Yard said a man in his 60s was found at a home in New Malden, south-west London, on Monday and that the cause of his death is unexplained - but there was "no evidence to suggest a link to the incident in Salisbury".

© Chris J Ratcliffe Scotland Yard said a man in his 60s was found at a home in South-west London

The Skripals were found slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire city and left critically ill in hospital after being targeted on March 4. DS Nick Bailey, a police officer who went to their aid, was also seriously poisoned.

Police have so far collected 380 exhibits and have been scouring hours of CCTV footage from across the city.

© Daily Mirror The probe has already collected more than 380 exhibits and scoured hours of CCTV

Investigators are also focusing on Mr Skripal's red BMW, registration number HD09 WAO, and appealing for any witnesses who saw the pair in the car between 1pm and 1.45pm on March 4 to come forward.

The former director of GCHQ, Rbert Hannigan, said the events in Salisbury were "part of a pattern where a modern nation has chosen to step outside the rules that govern behaviour of civilised countries".

© PA Barriers erected outside a Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury

Mr Hannigan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the response should include "the expulsion of diplomats on a scale we probably haven't seen since the Cold War" but also "hitting the economic targets" including those who do business in London.

But he warned against a large-scale cyber attack against Russia, which he said would "play to Putin's narrative and probably wouldn't achieve much except damage all around".

© PA Military personnel in gas masks prepare to remove a second ambulance from the South Western Ambulance Service station in Harnham, near Salisbury

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said sanctions should be focused on the imposition of "Magnitsky" measures targeting the assets of wealthy Russians in the UK.

He rejected calls for the England football team to be pulled out of the World Cup, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm more in favour of our fans going and mixing with Russian people... If it's just England withdrawing it wouldn't be effective."

© PA A tent erected at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, over the grave of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal

Alexander Winterstein, deputy chief spokesman at the European Commission, said the EU was "ready to offer support" to the UK.

He told reporters in Brussels: "The use of a military grade chemical agent on UK soil in the murder attempt of Mr Skripal is shocking, threatening civilians and endangering the public."