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Former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of being a paedophile just months before he died, it has been revealed.

At an inquiry into his death it was also announced that the ex-spy also fingered the Russian premier as the person who ordered his murder - naming him to British cops as he lay on his deathbed.

The shocking allegations were revealed this morning at the start of a 10-week inquest into Mr Litvinenko’s death.

(Image: Getty)

Robert Tam QC, one of the lawyers working in the investigation, outlined what would be heard during the inquiry.

Mr Tam said much of Mr Litvinenko's writings alleged corruption against Mr Putin.

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He said: "At the extreme end of the spectrum in July 2006, Mr Litvinenko published an article on the Chechen press website accusing Putin of being a paedophile. Could the Kremlin have regarded him as an irritant or worse?"

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After revealing Mr Litvinenko’s unsubstantiated allegations about Putin being a paedophile, Mr Tam told The Royal Courts of Justice that this may have come back to haunt him.

Mr Tam told the inquiry chair that he would have to consider whether the ex-spy’s actions “could have had a connection with his death”.

In a morning session packed with sensational claims, Mr Tam also told the court how following his poisoning, Mr Litvinenko also told detectives that he had “no doubt” that Putin ordered his murder.

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Mr Tam read out interviews police conducted with with Mr Litvinenko following his poisoning.

When asked who he thought was responsible for ordering his death, Mr Litvinenko said: "That person is the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.”

Mr Litvinenko died in November 2006 after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 while meeting two Russian men - one a former KGB officer - at the Millennium Hotel in London's Grosvenor Square.

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His family believes he was working for MI6 at the time and was killed on the orders of the Kremlin.

This morning, the inquiry was also told how Mr Litvinenko fled to the UK in 2000 following his release from jail and how while in Britain he began dedicating his time to "political campaigning" particularly objecting to "Putin's regime”.

His views were shared by fellow London-based Russian Boris Berezovsky - who is thought to have killed himself in March 2013.

(Image: PA)

Mr Litvinenko attended public meetings, appeared on television interviews and wrote two books - Blowing Up Russia and The Gang From Lubyanka.

The former contained allegations that the FSB staged bombings in Russia that led to the second Chechen war.

The QC said evidence is expected to be heard that Mr Litvinenko had been working for the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6.

(Image: PA)

"If Mr Litvinenko was working for MI6 was working for MI6 could this have become known in Russia and might that have provided a motive to anyone in Russia for causing Mr Litvinenko's death?"

The inquiry will also hear evidence that Mr Litvinenko could have been working for Spanish security services as well as taking on private security work for western businesses.

Mr Tam said threats were made against Mr Litvinenko, including in 2004 his home was firebombed by two Chechen men.