‘Black Widow’ murder: Now Boris wants UK detectives on the case

FOREIGN Secretary Boris Johnson is set to call for British police to be allowed to investigate the ‘Black Widow’ murder in Ukraine after an appeal from the victim’s family.

An inquest into the death of wealthy IT consultant Barry Pring, 47, in a road accident in 2008 has raised fresh questions over the role of his internet bride – former stripper Anna Ziuzina, 38, right. A coroner has ruled that he was unlawfully killed.

After years of stalled investigations, Mr Johnson has met the family’s MP and will now seek permission from the Ukrainian authorities for UK police to conduct a review.

Mr Pring’s MP Neil Parish met Mr Johnson last week as he seeks to put pressure on the Ukrainian authorities. Mr Parish said: ‘I would like a British police force to take over the inquiry but this is obviously difficult when the incident occurred in another state.

‘Boris Johnson has agreed to raise our request through the Foreign Office and his counterpart in Ukraine.’

Mr Pring’s brother Shaughan, of Cullompton, Devon, said: ‘If this could be agreed it would be a big step forward. No one has taken ownership of my brother’s case. ‘British police have no jurisdiction, our Foreign Office has achieved little, and after nine years the Ukrainian police are no further forward.’ The Pring family are also considering the possibility of a private prosecution against Miss Ziuzina, who now lives in Marbella with another wealthy Briton, Ivan Lister, and their three-yearold daughter. She has not spoken publicly, but last week The Mail on Sunday unearthed a blog in which she denied having anything to do with Mr Pring’s death.