Journalist John Pilger has described the poisoning of a Russian ex-double agent and his daughter in the UK as a “carefully constructed drama in which the media plays a role”.

Pilger said the events surrounding Sergei and Yulia Skripal, who are still in a critical condition after being attacked with a nerve agent in Salisbury, were part of a “propaganda campaign”.

In an interview on RT (Russia Today), published online on Sunday, the veteran journalist also appeared to hint at the possibility of British involvement in the attempted murder of the pair.