Royal couple visit Salisbury to revive trade

THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have said “it’s nice to see Salisbury back to itself” after visiting the city in the wake of the poisoning of a former Russian spy.

The royal couple were greeted by thousands of locals and visitors on a visit aimed at boosting tourism in the Wiltshire city, after the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

During a two-hour visit, in which they visited a market, greeted children and met with Det Sgt Nick Bailey, the police officer who was taken ill after responding to the incident, the couple were followed by media, including a crew from Russian state television.

Mr Skripal, 66, and Yulia, 33, were left fighting for their lives in hospital after being found unconscious on a park bench in the city after a nerve agent attack on March 4. They have since been discharged from hospital.

Nine businesses have been closed as a result of the incident, with shops near the police cordons reporting a drop in footfall of 60 to 80 per cent. Footfall across the city centre was down by an average of 15 per cent in April, with tourism dropping around 20 per cent.

The Prince and the Duchess met market stall holders, asking whether their produce was local and whether they had been affected by the police investigation. “I hope it’s getting better,” the Prince told them.

Asked how she was enjoying her visit to Salisbury, the Duchess said: “It’s very nice to be back and it’s nice to see it back to itself.”