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Family of Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov murdered in London 'devastated' at his death

Nikolai Glushkov was found dead at his home in New Malden one week ago: AP
Nikolai Glushkov was found dead at his home in New Malden one week ago: AP

The family of murdered Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov have said they are "devastated" following his death.

The Kremlin critic, 68, was found dead at his home in Clarence Avenue, New Malden, earlier this month.

Police initially treated his death as unexplained, but last Friday announced that it had become a murder investigation led by the Counter Terrorism Command.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as compression to the neck. There was no sign of forced entry, raising the possibility that Mr Glushkov knew his killer.

In a statement, his family said: "We are very grateful for the messages of sympathy received. A special thank you goes out to the Metropolitan Police and the emergency services for their rapid response and assistance on the night.

"We are devastated at the loss of Nikolay and are coming to terms with our grief. We are assisting the Counter Terror Command with their investigation.

"As a result we will not be making or releasing any further public statements at this stage of the investigation. We therefore ask members of the UK and international media to respect our privacy.”

Mr Glushkov, who fled to Britain after being accused of fraud in Russia, was outspoken about the Kremlin after the death in 2013 of his close friend Boris Berezovsky, another enemy of Vladimir Putin.

Police said at this stage there was nothing to link Mr Glushkov’s death with the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Detectives have recovered more than 400 items and taken statements. Anyone with information should call 0800 789 321.