MP's assistant is fighting deportation

An MP's assistant who was arrested over suspicions that she is a Russian spy said last night that she was "absolutely sure" she would win an appeal against deportation.

Russian Miss Zatuliveter, 25, has been working for Liberal Democrat backbencher Mike Hancock for two and a half years but was arrested on Thursday morning and is being held at an immigration detention centre.

She said: "I was arrested on Thursday at 7am and was told I would be deported. Nobody explained to me why and this is my main concern.

"I was not told about the arrangement of the flight. I am in the process of appealing against the deportation and absolutely sure I will win it."