Relations between Russia and the West are worse than during the Cold War, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told the BBC in an interview.

Mr Lavrov denied any chemical weapons had been used in Douma, arguing that evidence produced by the UK, France and the US 'was based on media reports and social media'.

The event did not take place, he told the BBC's Hardtalk programme. 'What did take place was a staged thing.'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (above) has accused the UK, US and France of launching their attack in Syria based on social media reports of a chemical weapons use in Douma

The British delegation said in a statement posted on Twitter: 'Unfettered access [is] essential. Russia and Syria must cooperate.' Pictured: Douma today

Men load a carpet and mattress on to a bicycle in front of damaged buildings today in the town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack

Mr Lavrov also questioned why the US, UK and France had carried out their retaliatory air strikes before OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) inspectors were able to visit the site.

Russia and the West, he added, were facing a situation worse than during the Cold War due to a lack of channels of communication.

Earlier Russia said a visit by chemical weapons inspectors to the Douma site had been delayed as a result of Western air strikes.

The British delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Russia and Syria had not allowed access.

But Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, said: 'We consider such accusations against Russia to be groundless,' adding that Moscow was in favour of 'an impartial investigation'.

'This is the latest conjecture of our British colleagues,' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

He also said the delay was because of air strikes.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, said: 'I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site.'

At least 75 people are believed to have been killed in the attack on and thousands of survivors have fled to refugee camps in northern Syria. Pictured: A child receiving oxygen through respirators following the Douma attack

The British delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Russia and Syria had not yet allowed access. Pictured: UN vehicles carrying Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons arrive at the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus on April 14

The British delegation said in a statement posted on Twitter: 'Unfettered access [is] essential. Russia and Syria must cooperate.'

Britain's ambassador to the OPCW also said Russian assertions about why a team of inspectors had so far been unable to reach Douma were incorrect.

Russian officials have said that the inspectors were unable to reach Douma because they had not been cleared by the United Nations and because of US-led strikes carried out on targets in Syria on Saturday prevented them.

But Ambassador Peter Wilson said at a news conference in The Hague that the United Nations had cleared the inspectors to go, and they had been unable to reach Douma because Syria and Russia had been unable to guarantee their safety.

Earlier, Russia vowed not to interfere in the work of a fact-finding mission sent to Syria by OPWC.

'Russia confirms its commitment to ensure safe [sic] and security of the mission and will not interfere in its work,' the Russian embassy in The Hague said in a tweet.

It also slammed the United States, saying the weekend strikes by the US, France and Britain on three facilities in Syria were a bid 'to undermine the credibility' of the mission.

Putin spokesman Peskov also dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron's claims that the weekend air strikes had driven a wedge between Ankara and Moscow.

While acknowledging some differences 'on a number of issues' between Turkey and Russia, Peskov said they did not prevent the two countries from cooperating in the implementation of large-scale economic and other projects.

Russia made its comments as the OPWC opened emergency talks behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the April 7 alleged attack in Douma where 40 people were said to have been killed.

The OPCW has 192 members, and Monday's governing executive council meeting of 41 states was called by its chairman, Bangladeshi ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, 'to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons' in Syria.

The US envoy to OPCW, meanwhile, said Russia may have tampered with the site of the attack.

The comments came during a closed-door meeting.

A child evacuated from Douma receives preventive medicine upon arrival in Al-Bab district, Aleppo

An image released by the White Helmets shows a toddler in a nappy being given oxygen after the attack in Syria

Syrian government forces wait for vehicles carrying Jaish al-Islam fighters and their family members as they are evacuated from the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma on April 14

A young child is treated by specialists after being taken to Aleppo in the wake of the gas attack on Douma

'It is long overdue that this council condemns the Syrian government for its reign of chemical terror and demands international accountability for those responsible for these heinous acts,' US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said in comments obtained by Reuters.

'It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site. It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation.'

A diplomatic source told Reuters evidence may have been removed while inspectors negotiated access with Syrian authorities.

Syria and Russia deny chemical weapons were used in the final offensive that captured Douma, a rebel-held territory east of Damascus.