European governments probably knew that the CIA was flying prisoners across their territory for interrogation and torture in other countries, a report claimed today.

Allegations that special American flights transported terrorist suspects to Europe to be questioned were first raised in the Washington Post last November.

Now an interim report from the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe confirms the "rendition" of more than 100 prisoners "affecting Europe".

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB, ex-KGB) today accused British diplomats for spying in Moscow and confirmed a Russian TV channel report with video footage on Sunday that the four British Embassy officials exposed by the Service were intelligence agents.

‘‘It is important that we catch them having contact with agents and funding a number of non-governmental organisations,’’ FSB spokesman Sergei Ignatchenko told mediapersons adding that ‘‘we are investigating the goals of this funding.’’

A Rossiya TV programme ‘‘Special Correspondent’’ broadcast on Sunday night said that FSB had uncovered a group of British spies working at the Embassy. The programme alleged that four British Embassy officials and one Russian citizen recruited by the British secret service, downloaded classified data from a transmitter planted in the fake rock on a Moscow street onto their palm-top computers.

Hidden camera showed individuals walking up to the fake rock and one man was caught on camera carrying it away.