Last night Russia accused Britain of tinkering with Gatwick CCTV images of the two alleged Novichok spies.

Pictures show Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov separately walking through gates at the airport.

But the images are timed at the same moment - 16:22:43.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova said: 'Either the date and the exact time were overlaid on the image, or the staff of the Russian GRU learned to walk simultaneously - but their images are captured in two different photographs.'

Last night police said the wanted men walk through customs before being faced with a number of automatic gates.

They split up to and each go down a different thin corridor at the same time.

CCTV of Ruslan Boshirov at Gatwick airport on March 2 2018. The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of Boshirov and Alexander Petrov

Russian National Alexander Petrov at Gatwick airport at on March 2 2018. The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of Ruslan Boshirov and Petrov in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March

At arrivals at Gatwick Airport you leave the plane before heading to passport control and then move to collect your bags at the carousels.

You then go through the section of the airport where you have to declare items.

After walking through this and prior coming into the main part of the airport to get your taxi, pick up your car or get a train, you are faced with a number of thin gate corridors.

Tourists walking through the green lane at 'Nothing to declare'. After this comes a series of three or four automatic gates

Frequent flyers will know you can't go through the gates together and rather than queuing up in single file you split up and go through different segments.

This is what Petrov and Boshirov do and why the time is exactly the same.

The pictures released by the Metropolitan Police were being mocked on Russian social media.

One said: 'Yes, the corridors (at Gatwick Airport) are different.

'These are corridors at border control.

'But what an amazing synchronization of the GRU's staff.'

'Don't worry it happens - people will swallow such 'evidence',' said a social media comment mocking Britain over the pictures.

Meanwhile, a. top Moscow politician tonight denied Theresa May's claim that Vladimir Putin's GRU military intelligence agency was behind the novichok poisoning.

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian parliament's international relations committee, described the claim as 'absolute nonsense'.

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are wanted by British authorities for the Salisbury nerve agent attack in March this year

'Britain is continuing a large-scale anti-Russian provocation,' he said.

'It is announced that they allegedly are GRU officers.

'This is an absolute nonsense.

'Any family names could have been made up and any photos could have been provided with the same result.

CCTV images of Petrov and Boshirov the day before the attack at the train station

Novichok poisoning suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are shown on CCTV on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 1:05pm on 04 March 2018

'Once again there is no real evidence of Russia's involvement, only ungrounded accusations.

'Just like there is no reply to Russia's multiple inquiries about providing information on the course of investigation.

'But that doesn't stop the UK's PM who demands more sanctions against Russia.'

London - with support from Washington - is seeking to justify 'launching a huge international scandal out of nowhere'.