A FORMER KGB spy who studied in London, became a lifelong fan of the Beatles and speaks fluent English is being tipped to succeed Vladimir Putin as president of Russia.

Sergei Ivanov, a deputy prime minister, is an avid reader of British espionage thrillers and has praised British spies as some of the best in the world.

A close ally of Putin since the early 1970s, when the two served together in St Petersburg’s KGB headquarters, Ivanov was defence minister for six years. Since Putin promoted him to deputy prime minister four months ago, his popularity has soared.