Clean-up is launched in city after nerve agent attack on former spy
A CLEAN-UP has been launched following the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter with a toxic nerve agent.
Parts of Salisbury in Wiltshire are being decontaminated following the incident involving Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
They needed hospital treatment after being found slumped on a bench on March 4 in the Maltings area of the city.
A small amount of the novichok substance is thought to have been used in liquid form to target the pair. Mr Skripal, 66, is still in hospital but his daughter, 33, has been discharged.
Parts of Salisbury remain cordoned off following the incident. The clean-up operation is being overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with support form the Army and other agencies.
Also involved are experts from the Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
A Defra spokeswoman said: “Decontamination work started at The Maltings in Salisbury on Tuesday morning.
“Specialist teams are carrying out thorough testing to ensure that any residual nerve agent used in the attack is chemically cleaned, or removed and safely destroyed.
“The work is being planned and overseen by Defra based on expert advice from DSTL, PHE, DHSC and the Home Office and with support of specialist Ministry of Defence personnel form the Army, RAF and joint organisations.”
Russia has denied having any involvement in the poisoning.
Specialist teams are carrying out thorough testing.
Spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.