Novichok: Poisoned ex-Wiltshire Police officer giving evidence

A former Wiltshire Police officer who was poisoned with Novichok is giving evidence at the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry in London this morning.

Nick Bailey was the first person to enter the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal after he and his daughter were targeted with a nerve agent in March 2018.

Mr Bailey was poisoned after touching the door handle of the Skripal's home that had been contaminated with Novichok.

He - together with Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived the poisoning - but Mr Bailey left the Force in October 2020 - saying the incident had impacted on his ability to do the job.

The hearing, is also due to hear today from Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, who led the local policing response.

The public inquiry is investigating the circumstances around the death of 44-year-old, mum-of-three, Dawn Sturgess in Amesbury in July 2018.

She died after applying the nerve agent to her skin, which had been hidden in a perfume bottle and then given to her as a gift by her partner.

Memory of incident 'hazy at best'

Speaking to the hearing, DS Bailey described his memory of what had happened in March 2018 as 'hazy at best', saying that in order to move on from the ordeal, he tried not to think about it.

While Mr Bailey confirmed he was the first person to enter the Skripal home and that he touched the door handle, he said he doesn't remember entering the house.

He said he was wearing protective equipment when he entered the Christie Miller road property but admitted it is possible he touched his face with the contaminated glove.

Mr Bailey said he showed symptoms of poisoning within hours of visiting the house, adding that his symptoms worsened over the following days.

He described the morning after to the hearing: "My vision was impaired once I turned the lights on – it’s very difficult to describe it but everything was crystal clear and it was juddering... it was quite scary,"

He was admitted to hospital on 6th March 2018, being discharged on the 22nd.

More sanctions imposed on Russia

The UK has announced 56 new sanctions against Russia, including against Salisbury poisoning suspect Denis Sergeev.

These sanctions will directly target the supply of goods to Russia's military and constrain vital resources crucial to conduct Vladimir Putin's illegal war in Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "Today's measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin's corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia's attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin's war machine. And smashing the illicit international networks that Russia has worked so hard to forge.

"Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.

"Today's sanctions further build on the UK's mission to combat Russian malign activity globally.

"Over the last month the UK has directly targeted Russia's illicit shadow fleet, condemned the abhorrent use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, cracked down on malicious Russian cyber gangs and sanctioned the Kremlin's mouthpieces who recklessly spread Putin's lies across the world."