Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky was found on his bathroom floor with a “ligature around his neck”, an inquest hears.Now question is this is a Russian intelligence service (SVR) job ?

Detective Inspector Mark Bissell, of Thames Valley Police, said that a similar piece of material to that used for the ligature was also found on the shower rail above him.

Speaking at the opening of Mr Berezovsky’s inquest at Windsor Coroner’s Court Insp Bissell confirmed that the cause of the 67-year-old’s death was “consistent with hanging”.

He said that police were continuing to search the businessman’s home in Ascot, Berkshire, and that further toxicology tests would be carried out on his body.

The coroner, Peter Bedford, heard that Boris Berezovsky’s body had been formally identified by his daughter Elizaveta Berezovskaya.

He was referred to during the inquest as Platon Elenin, as he changed his name by deed poll in 2003, and this is the name that the coroner’s court will use.

Mr Berezovsky, who made an enemy of the Kremlin when Vladimir Putin became president, died last week at his home in Ascot. He was last seen at 9.05pm on Friday, March 22. His body was discovered at 3.20pm the next day.

Mr Berezovsky made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s when he bought up state assets which were being sold off cheaply.

He had lived in the UK from 2000 having fled from Russia after falling out with Vladimir Putin.

He was also a friend of the murdered dissident Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London after consuming radioactive Polonium in 2006.

In 1997 Forbes magazine estimated Boris Berezovsky’s wealth at US$3bn but in recent years his wealth had been considerably reduced.

It is thought he had done badly in the financial crisis. In 2009 his wealth was estimated at £450m but he is thought to have spent £100m on the £3.7bn lawsuit against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich last year, which he lost.

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