‘We need to regain our purpose and vision’

THE Bishop of Salisbury says it is “disturbing” how conspiracy theories are still circulating a year on from the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter.

The Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam said the “sudden, violent” method of attack meant it was not surprising people in the city were still feeling puzzled by what happened on March 4 last year.

But he said it was concerning how there was ongoing talk of conspiracy theories despite the Government and Scotland Yard both pointing the blame at Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Rusland Boshirov.

His comments come as he urged people to repurpose Salisbury into a welcoming place which is confident in itself and not wanting to be known for the poison attack, which also claimed the life of Dawn Sturgess.

Speaking to the Western Daily Press, he said: “The conspiracy theories don’t make sense to me, people still talk about them. People are still not sure what happened even though we have a clear narrative.

“It was sudden, violent and it came from nowhere. Why on earth would Salisbury be targeted? It is quite distressing. Why would this happen in our community?

“It is not surprising that people are still feeling puzzled by it all. But there is also a great determination to move on.”

Looking back over the past year, Bishop Holtam praised the “brilliant” emergency services and Salisbury District Hospital for their response to the incident.

He said the recovery plan led by Wiltshire Council was bringing visitors back to the city and rebuilding confidence. But he said more needed to be done to establish the city’s vision going forward.

He said: “The recovery plan is not enough, there now needs to be a sense of vision of what Salisbury is.

“We are talking much better as a city, but now we need to regain our purpose and sense of vision.

“The 800th anniversary of the founding of the cathedral is next year. It provides a chance for us to make our mark and ensure Novichok is not what we are remembered in history for.

“As we have in history, we want to be welcoming and confident in ourselves again.”

The cathedral has been at the heart of the city’s rehabilitation.

More than 3,000 people attended a screening of the royal wedding last year, and a service marking the 70th year of the NHS received a high turnout, with people using the opportunity to thank emergency services in the wake of the attack.

Both Mr Petrov and Mr Boshirov claim to have visited Salisbury last year to visit the cathedral. In a bizarre interview they claimed it was “famous not just in Europe, but in the whole world. It’s famous for its 123-metre spire, it’s famous for its clock, the first one [of its kind] ever created in the world, which is still working.”

But Bishop Holtam said there was nothing to link the pair with the cathedral.

A church service to mark the Novichok attack in Salisbury will take place tomorrow.

The traditional procession of city councillors and other representatives of civic life will walk through the streets to the ancient St Thomas’s Church to give thanks for all that is good in the community.

The Rector of St Thomas, the Rev Kelvin Inglis, will also be using the service to remember the victims of the March and June attacks and to offer thanks for the response of the community, then and now.

Rev Inglis said: “We were reminded once more of the values we share. In the face of the evil and indiscriminate attack on our city, we uphold the rule of law, the freedom to live in peace, and care and concern for the vulnerable in our midst.”