North Korea has used its embassy in Berlin to acquire equipment apparently intended for its missile or nuclear programmes, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has said.

The comments by BfV agency head Hans-Georg Maassen were released by NDR public television before a documentary due to air next week.

Mr Maassen said of the embassy: "We have seen that procurement activities took place from there, from our point of view with a view to the missile programme and in part also the nuclear programme."

He added that "if we see such things, we prevent them," but it is not always possible to recognise them and the activities often involve goods usable for either civilian or military purposes.

Pyongyang has faced increasing UN sanctions in response to its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.