Foreign Secretary David Miliband has warned Russia that "intimidation" of British Council officials is "completely unacceptable".

The council is "deeply concerned" about its staff's safety after its employees were interviewed by security services and a director was detained by police.

Mr Miliband said the Russian ambassador in London would meet the head of the diplomatic service over the issue.

"Any intimidation or questioning of officials is completely unacceptable."

The British Council says it is "deeply concerned" for the safety of its staff, after its employees in Russia were called in for interviews with the FSB security service - and some were visited by Interior Ministry officials at their homes late on Tuesday.

Litvinenko row

Meanwhile St Petersburg office director Stephen Kinnock was followed, stopped and released by authorities on Tuesday.

Mr Kinnock - son of former Labour leader Neil - was held by the side of the road on Tuesday night and accused of going up a one-way street the wrong way and of smelling of alcohol. The British Consul in St Petersburg came to pick him up an hour later.

The St Petersburg British Council office is reported to have been closed on Wednesday because all Russian staff have been summoned by the Russian authorities.

The British Council has been at the centre of a row between Russia and the UK, part of an ongoing dispute over the death of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned in London. Russian authorities have ordered offices outside Moscow to shut, Britain has refused.

Mr Miliband said Tuesday had seen "productive" discussions between British diplomats and Russian authorities in Moscow.

But he said: "We've also heard last night and today very serious reports of intimidation and harassment of British Council officials, obviously we take that very seriously indeed."

'Completely legal'

He said he would meet the chief executive of the British Council to discuss the matter later and the Russian ambassador would meet the head of the British diplomatic service.

Mr Miliband argued that cultural exchange between the two countries was a good thing and that the council's work was "completely legal" and Britain would defend its staff's integrity.

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