Pair praised for work on Litvinenko case (From Haringey Independent)

Pair praised for work on Litvinenko case

1:50pm Friday 13th July 2007 in News By Ruth Holmes

Two police officers called to Alexander Litvinenko's aid after he had been poisoned have been commended for their response to the emergency call.

Police Constable Andy Wigley went to Mr Litvinenko's bedside at Barnet Hospital after BBC journalists turned up outside, following a lead that the ex-KGB agent was there.

PC Wigley was given only a 'wafer thin plastic apron' when he sat with Mr Litvinenko at the hospital on November 3 last year.

The former spy, who lived in Muswell Hill, gripped and was sick over the police officer's arm, explaining what he believed to be an attempt on his life by President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

PC Wigley said: "Mr Litvinenko was rushed to hospital by ambulance. He was clearly very, very ill."

After admitting the 43-year-old, doctors diagnosed thallium poisoning. The offending substance was only later discovered to be the deadly radioactive isotope Polonium-210.

PC Wigley added: "He was frantic. He was totally convinced he was going to be killed. I sat on the bed with him and he grabbed my arm. He was absolutely terrified."

Police community support officer Katie Davies attended the hospital with PC Wigley.

The 21-year-old, who had only been a PCSO for a year, said: "I was really shocked.

"I didn't understand how big a case it was until the next day, when I saw it all over the news."

Miss Davies dealt with Mr Litvinenko's wife, Marina, while PC Wigley tried to arrange an armed guard for the ward where the poisoned spy was being treated. "Mrs Litvinenko was so upset," she said.

"She was worried her son might have been poisoned at home."

Mr Litvinenko was transferred to University College Hospital on November 17 but died five days later.

Tests revealed that PC Wigley and Miss Davies had ingested low levels of Polonium-210 but the pair insist there is now 'no concern' about their health.

However, warnings from the Health Protection Agency at the time of the incident meant the officers found themselves kept at arm's length. PC Wigley said: "No one would get in a car with me for about three weeks."

At Friday's Metropolitan Police award ceremony, Inspector Jeremy Harding, presenting the Litvinenko team with their award, said: "This type of incident is thankfully extremely rare. You cannot train officers for this sort of thing but they were able to maintain a professionalism that we can all be proud of."