Frustration over probe into poisoning
SALISBURY is striving to “carry on with life” as frustration mounts over the police’s failure to find the source of the latest nerve agent poisoning on Wiltshire soil.
Businesses fear a renewed slump in trade after the second Novichok emergency in four months.
Dawn Sturgess, 44, and Charlie Rowley, 45, were taken to hospital in a critical condition last Saturday.
Cordons are in place in both Salisbury and Amesbury, while investigators prepare to search the latest victims’ homes in a bid to find the contaminated object that poisoned them with the nerve agent Novichok.
SALISBURY IS striving to “carry on with life” as frustration mounts over the police’s failure to find the source of the latest nerve agent poisoning on Wiltshire soil.
Businesses fear a renewed slump in trade after the second Novichok emergency in four months.
Standing beside one cordon, at Salisbury’s Queen Elizabeth Gardens, retired teacher Tony Kesterton said “it’s pretty disgusting” that the toxin is still in the city.
“I wish they would give us more information about it – perhaps they haven’t got any more,” the 73-year-old said.
“I will take precautions, but you have got to carry on with life. People are very resilient here. But it’s got to put off tourism.”
Police have not found the source of the latest contamination, but Public Health England said the chance of further poisonings is “low”.
Regardless of how safe the region is, traders fear the perception of danger will put off the tourists that the local economy heavily relies on.
Market trader Jim Diment, 54, said business had become “difficult” since the latest poisonings, which followed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia being targeted in March.
“We have only just come back since this has re-opened,” said Mr Diment, whose stall offers chicken sausages produced on a farm in Wimborne, Dorset.
“Now it has come back and it’s back to square one. It’s not good,” he said.
“Obviously it is a bit busy at the moment because of the football and sunny weather, but we are struggling – it’s hard.”