UK police fear further nerve agent attacks

British police are scouring sections of Salisbury and Amesbury in southwest England, searching for a container feared to be contaminated with traces of the deadly nerve agent Novichok. Photo / AP

Police hunting the deadly Novichok-tainted item that left a couple fighting for their lives in Wiltshire have said they cannot rule out more people being poisoned.

Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable said he hopes "we are not back in this position in four months' time", as he could not say no one else will fall ill as a result of contact with the nerve agent left over from the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, and 45-year-old Charlie Rowley were taken ill a week ago in Amesbury, around 13km from where the former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with the same substance in Salisbury in March.

The second nerve agent emergency in four months has prompted a diplomatic row, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid accusing the Russian state of using Britain as a "dumping ground for poison". The Russian Embassy hit back, accusing the Government of trying to "muddy the waters" and "frighten its own citizens".

One theory understood to be under investigation is that the pair poisoned in the latest incident might have found a container - such as a phial or syringe - used to transport the nerve agent for the initial attack on the Skripals and later discarded.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory confirmed the victims were exposed to Novichok.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said he "fully supports" the decisions taken by officers, who thought initially the couple had fallen ill after taking illegal drugs.

Novichok remains highly toxic for a considerable period of time, so even the tiniest trace remaining in a container picked up by the victims could account for their severe illness.

In a blistering attack in the Commons, Javid demanded that the Kremlin provide an explanation for the two episodes.

"It is completely unacceptable for our people to be either deliberate or accidental targets, or for our streets, our parks, our towns, to be dumping grounds for poison."

A Russian Embassy spokesman said: "It is regrettable that UK officials try to link a second poisoning with Russia without having produced any credible results of the investigation of the first one.

"Instead of genuine co-operation, London is doing everything possible to muddy the waters, to confuse and frighten its own citizens. One can only guess what the reasons behind such a line of behaviour are."

Officers were called to a home in Muggleton Rd, Amesbury, when Sturgess collapsed. They were called back later that day when Rowley also fell ill.

Six sites visited by Rowley and Sturgess before they fell ill were cordoned off.

Skripal and his daughter have since left hospital.