‘Brazen and despicable act’ is down to Russia, says May
THERESA May yesterday visited the city where double agent Sergei Skripal was found poisoned and again blamed Russia.
The Prime Minister said: “We do hold Russia culpable for this brazen and despicable act.”
She toured cordoned off areas of Salisbury near where former spy Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a park bench on March 4.
They are still critically ill in hospital after being attacked with a Russian military grade nerve agent called Novichok.
Mrs May met Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was contaminated as he investigated the attack, and who is in a serious but stable condition.
Meanwhile police and soldiers sealed off his home in a village outside the city as a precaution.
The PM’s spokesman said they had a “private conversation”.
During her visit, Mrs May exchanged a fist-bump greeting with one young woman.
She also spoke to two police officers who responded to the 999 call alerting them to two people lying unconscious on the bench – the exspy and his daughter. One told Mrs May: “It was a routine call, two people on a bench, slumped over, which is nothing out of the ordinary.”
The Prime Minister remarked: “You had no idea what you were dealing with.
“Thank you, what you did was what police do day in and day out.
“A routine call and you don’t know what’s there. You did a great job.” Asked if she could guarantee the public were safe, Mrs May said: “Public Health England have been giving public health advice to people here in Salisbury, as has the chief medical officer and their advice is clearly that the risk to public health is low.”
The Prime Minister welcomed support Britain has received from the US, France and Germany.