Boris Johnson accuses Corbyn of 'playing Russia's game' after Labour leader claims he has 'egg on his face' for appearing to exaggerate evidence found by Porton Down on Novichok poison

• Abbott has accused Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson of misleading the public 
• Johnson said on TV that scientists had told him the nerve agent was from Russia
• Porton Down said last night it was not able to say where the substance was made 
• Putin seized on the apparent confusion to call for an outbreak of 'common sense

Boris Johnson accused Jeremy Corbyn of 'playing Russia's game' tonight after Labour seized on claims the Foreign Secretary exaggerated evidence on the Salisbury attack.

Mr Johnson said it was 'lamentable' the Labour leader was choosing to 'side with the Russian spin machine'.

Mr Corbyn today said Mr Johnson had 'egg on his face' and demanded the Foreign Secretary explain an interview where he said the Ministry of Defence's Porton Down lab had evidence Russia was to blame for attacking Sergei Skripal.

The laboratory's boss last night insisted his team knew what the substance was but that it was not their job to identify the source.

Other ministers have suggested other evidence was behind Theresa May blaming the Russians but Mr Johnson appeared to go further in his March 20 interview.

The row grew when it emerged the Foreign Office deleted a tweet making a similar claim today.  

Putin seized on the chaos today and demanded 'common sense' break out, not just over the Skripal attack but 'all other aspects of international relations'.

The damaging blows to Britain's case came as Russia convened an emergency meeting at the Hague to demand an inquiry in to the case. 

Jeremy Corbyn today said Mr Johnson had 'egg on his face' and demanded the Foreign Secretary explain an interview where he said the Ministry of Defence's Porton Down

Boris Johnson made the claim Porton Down Scientists had told him Russia was to blame in an interview on German TV on March 20 (pictured) 

The Foreign Office deleted a Tweet making a similar claim this afternoon as a row over the details of the investigation threatened to hand a propaganda coup to the Kremlin

Any suggestion Britain has overclaimed on its investigation will fuel Russian propaganda.

International allies including the EU rallied round Britain today, insisting there was other intelligence which left them convinced Russia was to blame.

The Kremlin has convened an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to demand an inquiry into the Salisbury case. 

In a day of dramatic developments: 

• The Kremlin seized on last night's announcement by Porton Down that it had not pinpointed the source of the Novichok to demand an apology
• Labour's Diane Abbott highlighted Boris Johnson's claims Porton Down had said Russia was the source as proof Labour's more thoughtful approach was right
• Russia convenes an emergency meeting of the  Organistion for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague to demand an inquiry
• Britain's allies, including the EU, underline support for the UK inquiry despite the Porton Down announcement. British ministers repeat claims Russia is to blame but crucially cite other intelligence sources 
• It then emerges Britain's Russia ambassador also cited Porton Down as having blamed Russia in remarks repeated on Twitter by the Foreign Office 
• Officials delete the wrong tweet fuelling concern the Kremlin will use the development as a propanda coup 
• Putin demands an outbreak of 'commons sense' to ensure the 'situation in the world will become more predictable and stable' 

Speaking today on a visit to Watford, Mr Corbyn said: 'Boris Johnson seems to have completely exceeded the information that he had been given and told the world in categorical terms what he believed had happened.

'And it's not backed up by the evidence he claimed to have got from Porton Down in the first place. Boris Johnson needs to answer some questions ...

'Where does that leave the foreign secretary? Egg on his face for the statement he made on German television.'   

Mr Johnson hit back tonight: 'It is lamentable that Jeremy Corbyn is now playing Russia’s game and trying to discredit the UK over Salisbury attack. 

'28 other countries have been so convinced by UK case they have expelled Russians. In contrast, Jeremy Corbyn chooses to side with the Russian spin machine.' 

Diane Abbott (file image) today claimed Jeremy Corbyn has been proved right in questioning Vladimir Putin's responsibility for the Salisbury attack 

Vladimir Putin (pictured right today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani) demanded 'common sense' break out, not just over the Skripal attack but 'all other aspects of international relations'

Sergei Skripal with his daughter Yulia before they were poisoned in Salisbury

Ms Abbott told the Today programme she hoped Labour will 'get some credit for taking a more thoughtful approach and asking the right questions'.

She said: 'It doesn't surprise me Porton Down is saying this because the security services were always very cautious in what they said.

'What surprised me was that so many were willing to rush into the media and say it was unequivocally Putin. That's not necessarily what we were told.'

Told Prime Minister Theresa May did not say this, Ms Abbott replied: 'She didn't say that, she was quite careful in her initial statement.

'But Boris Johnson apparently going on international media and saying he was 101% certain it was Putin - I don't understand where he got that information from.' 

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today in Watford) has been widely criticised for appearing cautious to blame the Kremlin for the attack on Sergei Skripal 

Either the Foreign Secretary has information that he's not sharing with Porton Down or it was a bit of exaggeration.' 

Mr Johnson made the controversial claim in an interview on German TV on March 20.

Asked why the UK believed that Russia was the source of the nerve agent, Mr Johnson said: 'The people from Porton Down, the laboratory, they were absolutely categorical.

'I asked them that myself. I said ''Are you sure?''. He said ''There's no doubt''.'

Commenting on Mr Johnson's interview, a Government spokesman said: 'The Foreign Secretary was making clear that Porton Down were sure it was a Novichok - a point they have reinforced.

'He goes on in the same interview to make clear why based on that information, additional intelligence and the lack of alternative explanation from the Russians, we have reached the conclusion we have.

'What the Foreign Secretary said then, and what Porton Down have said recently, is fully consistent with what we have said throughout. It is Russia that is putting forward multiple versions of events and obfuscating the truth.'

A message stating that Porton Down had established that the Novichok nerve agent came from Russia was deleted from the Foreign Office Twitter feed.

The tweet, issued on March 22, said: 'Analysis by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down made clear that this was a military-grade Novichok nerve agent produced in Russia.'

Despite the confusion, the EU issued a strong statement of support for the UK at a meeting of chemical weapons experts today.

A statement said: 'We have full confidence in the UK investigation and laud UK's collaboration with the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in full compliance with the convention.' 

Former UK weapons expect Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told Today: 'Having seen a lot of various intelligence sources I feel 100 per cent confident that the prime minister is correct that the Russians are guilty.

'The Russians do appear to be on the front foot with communications and their disinformation campaign is putting the UK on the back foot.'

Ministers were scrambling to shore up Theresa May's (pictured in Wales on Sunday) coalition of support against Russia today after Porton Down admitted its findings did not prove Novichok used in Salisbury was made by the Kremlin

Ministers stepped up their accusations against Russia today. Security Minister Ben Wallace told the World at One: 'Scientists are scientists. As well as national security, I have organised crime and terrorism under my portfolio.

'When we work with forensic scientists, the scientist tell us what something is. They tell me a gun and a type of gun was used.

'But the attribution of who used it and exactly how it was used is a matter for the broader investigation. That includes intelligence, detectives - this is a police investigation- and the scientists as well. That is perfectly understandable.

'Remember, the foreign secretary and myself and others had seen a clutch of intelligence as well behind this.'

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt condemned Russia's 'brazen use of a chemical weapon on UK soil' in a speech. 

The UK's permanent representative to the OPCW John Foggo has accused Russia of showing 'disdain' for the organisation's independence.

Mr Foggo told an extraordinary meeting of the body's executive council in The Hague: 'Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show.

'Russia's statements demonstrate a wilful ignorance of the Convention's provisions and, worse than that, a disdain for the independence and competence of the Technical Secretariat.'

Ahead of the meeting, a senior minister told The Times of Porton Down: 'I'd give them full marks for their scientific work but low marks for today's presentation. This clearly isn't helpful.'

Armin Laschet, one of five deputy chairmen of Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, raised questions over Britain's drive to persuade allies to expel diplomats.

He said: 'If one forces nearly all Nato countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence?

'Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states.'

Dmitry Peskov, pictured yesterday, issued the extraordinary threat to Westminster

WHAT HAPPENED TO FORMER SPY SERGEI SKRIPAL AND HIS DAUGHTER?

A former Russian spy and his daughter found slumped on a bench in Wiltshire on March 4 were poisoned by a nerve agent, according to Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley.

Sergei, 66, and Yulia Skripal, 33, remain in a critical condition after they were targeted with a nerve agent in the middle of Salisbury town centre.

Nerve agents are a group of human-made substances that target part of the body's nervous system to shut down its organs and overload the brain.

Death is certain in as little as 10 minutes unless an antidote is taken almost immediately after being exposed.  

The minutes before death are torturous. The grisly effects include excruciating pain all over, paralysis, foaming at the mouth and nose, uncontrollable seizures and diarrhoea.