A Russian court has found the opposition activist Alexey Navalny guilty of embezzlement, in a verdict that prevents him from standing against Vladimir Putin at next year’s presidential election.

In a hearing in the city of Kirov on Wednesday, Judge Alexei Vtyurin found Mr Navalny guilty of embezzling timber worth 16 million rubles (about £215,000).

Judge Vtyurin sentenced Mr Navalny to five years probation. His co-defendant, Petr Ofitserov, received four years probation.

Mr Navalny, who denies the allegations, was first convicted of fraud in connection with a timber firm called KirovLes in 2013.