A dozen Russian billionaires are linked to an estimated £800m ($1.04 billion) worth of expensive property in the UK, according to an analysis by the BBC.

Multi-million pound country manors in the south of England and luxury flats in London's poshest areas are among the homes which have been bought by these wealthy oligarch’s, the BBC report states.

However, some of the individuals deny ownership of the mansions, which could make it difficult to bring them under the sanctions.

BBC claims to have carried out a detailed study of leaked offshore documents, the Land Registry and court papers as well as previous reporting.

The BBC findings highlight the UK's status as a place for super-rich Russians to set up home, and the difficulties of identifying the true owners of properties bought by offshore firms in tax havens.

The UK, US and European Union have together sanctioned more than 1,000 Russian billionaires and businesses after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

At the top of the list is 55-year-old billionaire Roman Abramovich who owns a £230m ($302m) property empire. 

He has a vast property portfolio in the UK with more than 50 luxury residences, most on Fulham Road in west London. Through his UK company Fordstam Limited, the Chelsea FC owner has bought dozens of apartments in Chelsea Village, plus the hotel and residential complex around Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium, according to the Land Registry.

His most expensive London property is a 15-bedroom house on a street that is referred to Billionaires Row where the super-rich reside.

Mr Abramovich bought the property in west London using an offshore company in 2011, reportedly paying £90m.

Amon the properties of other Russian oligarch’s listed by the BBC are a £65m Victorian mansion in north London and a Surrey manor house at the centre of a legal dispute involving Vladimir Putin's former judo sparring partner.

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