Police find bottle confirmed to contain Novichok nerve agent at victim’s home
Counter-terrorism detectives investigating the contamination of two people by Novichok believe they have found the source of the deadly substance.
Dawn Sturgess, 44, died and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, remains seriously ill in hospital after they were exposed to the nerve agent last month.
New Scotland Yard said that on Wednesday a small bottle was recovered during searches of Mr Rowley’s home in Amesbury.
It was taken to the nearby Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Por- ton Down, Wiltshire for tests. Following the tests, scientists confirmed the substance in the bottle is Novichok.
The UK has invited experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to independently confirm the identity of the nerve agent.
Further scientific tests will be carried out to try to establish whether it is from the same batch that contaminated Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March.
Ms Sturgess, a mother of three, died in hospital on Sunday night having been exposed to Novichok.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and an inquest into her death is set to open and adjourn on Thursday.
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of UK Counterterrorism Policing, said: “This is clearly a significant and positive development.”