Spy probe could take several weeks, say police

THE Salisbury spy probe could take several weeks as investigators carry out a “painstaking” operation to identify how a nerve agent was used to poison a former double agent on British soil.

Giving the first investigative update on the case since Prime Minister Theresa May pointed the finger at Russia, counterterror police chief Neil Basu said officers’ “prime focus” is to establish the method used to administer the chemical weapon.

A huge police inquiry was launched after former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on March 4. They remain in a critical condition.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, part of the initial police response, was also taken ill. He is in a serious but stable condition.

Mr Basu said: “The public are going to continue to see a great deal of police activity in and around the city, but please don’t be alarmed. It is necessary as part of this major investigation.”

Investigators are also focusing on Mr Skripal’s red BMW, registration HD09 WAO and appeal for anyone who saw the pair in the car between 1pm and 1.45pm on March 4 to come forward.

Mr Basu revealed 38 people had been seen by medics in relation to the incident, of whom 34 had been discharged from hospital. Three people remain in hospital – the Skripals and Mr Bailey. One other unnamed person is being monitored as an outpatient, but is not showing signs of exposure to the chemical weapon.