Poison scare as driver with ‘Russian links’ dies in Mayfair

A MIDDLE-AGED man thought to have Russian links died at the wheel of a car in a London street yesterday, leading to fears of a copycat Salisbury poisoning.

Dozens of police cars and ambulances descended upon Albemarle Street in Mayfair after the driver collapsed in the black Mercedes outside Oswald’s private members club.

A Russian-speaking woman came out of the club to get into the car and raised the alarm, onlookers said. Several members of staff from the club attempted to give the man, who was said to have been in his 50s, CPR.

One workman who witnessed the events unfold said that as soon as police arrived, everyone in the vicinity was moved away from the car and lined up down the street.

“They said it was suspected chemical warfare and asked if any of us had had any contact with the man who died,” he said.

“The only person who had was a man in a white waistcoat who I think was a waiter at the restaurant who gave him CPR. They extended the cordon further and further down the street and took statements from everyone but later told us they did not believe it was a chemical attack.”

Another witness said: “I overheard one of the ambulance crew saying it was due to his links with Russia.”

A man, whose driver is believed to have died, later walked up to the cordon outside the club – which was opened last year and is owned by businessman Robin Birley – to observe the scene where a forensics tent had been set up, but declined to answer questions when approached by The Daily Telegraph.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “At approximately 15:15 hours [yesterday], police responded to a call from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) relating to a man taken ill on Albemarle Street in Mayfair.

“Officers attended the scene. At the location they found a man being treated by the LAS.

“He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.

“Due to concerns the victim may have been exposed to a poison, specialist officers attended but found no evidence that would indicate the victim had been poisoned. There are no other reports of people being taken ill.

“Cordons were put in place around the area to allow the emergency services to carry out their work.”

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 3.14pm to Albemarle Street, Mayfair, to reports of a person in cardiac arrest.

“We sent a number of resources to the scene with the first of our medics arriving in five minutes. Sadly, despite our efforts, a man died at the scene.”