NERVE AGENT ATTACK

A BRITISH couple are fighting for their lives after being exposed to remnants of a nerve agent that nearly killed a former Russian spy and his daughter.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, and Charles Rowley, 45, fell desperately ill within hours of visiting Salisbury, the site of the attempted assassination of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

They had visited a park near where the Skripals were found collapsed in March.

Police confirmed they had been exposed to Novichok, one of the most toxic substances known to man. Even a pinprick can kill.

As security chiefs meetings, it was revealed: FRIENDS said Mr Rowley and Mrs Sturgess were hallucinating and foaming at the mouth before they collapsed. RELATIVES said they were in comas at Salisbury hospital. GOVERNMENT sources said the poison used on the Skripals “effectively lasts forever”.

Mrs Sturgess, a mother of held three, was rushed to hospital last weekend after collapsing at her boyfriend’s home.

Mr Rowley, who relatives said is a recovering heroin addict, fell ill eight hours later.

At first, police suspected the pair may have taken contaminated drugs. But a major probe was launched after news they were suffering symptoms of nerve agent poisoning.

Metropolitan Police Service counter-terrorism chief Neil Basu said after analysis of samples taken from the area, “we can confirm that the man and woman have been exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, which has been identified as the same nerve agent that contaminated both Yulia and Sergei Skripal.”

Mechanic Sam Hobson saw Mr Rowley hallucinating and rocking against a wall.

“He began gabbling incoherently and I could tell he was hallucinating. He was making weird noises and acting like a zombie,” he said.