Moscow denies Asma al Assad seeks divorce - as reports suggest she wants UK return

Moscow has denied claims Bashar al Assad's wife is seeking a divorce and a route out of Russia, where the couple are staying.

The deposed Syrian dictator has been in the Russian capital with Asma al Assad since rebels forced him out of power in a lightning offensive earlier this month.

They had to leave their life of luxury behind in a hurry - with their abandoned home explored by Sky News - and reports suggest Asma has grown disillusioned.

Turkish and Arabic media claimed the 49-year-old, who was born in Britain and has a UK passport, wants a divorce and to leave Russia - possibly for a return to London.

It's also said they are confined to Moscow and had their assets frozen, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the reports "do not correspond to reality".

Asma was diagnosed with leukaemia this year, five years after she was treated for breast cancer.

Reports suggest she may be seeking a return to London to continue her treatment, having grown up in Acton and working as an investment banker for JPMorgan.

She is under Western sanctions and UK foreign secretary David Lammy said this month she is "not welcome" in the country.

"I've seen mentioned in the last few days, Asma Assad potentially someone with UK citizenship that might attempt to come into our country, and I want it confirmed that she's a sanctioned individual and is not welcome here in the UK," he said.

Asked about the possibility of stripping her of British citizenship, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "We are far too early in any decisions about anything."

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In interviews, she insisted the Assads lived a middle-class life, but Sky News found countless jewellery boxes and designer goods in her storage room and boudoir.

On the lower floor, there were bank records in Asma's maiden name for huge sums of money.