Wiltshire Police Chief says the force wants to learn from novichok inquiry
Catherine Roper also wants to apologise to Dawn Sturgess' family in person
The Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police says she hopes to be able to apologise to the family of Durrington novichok poisoning victim Dawn Sturgess in person.
Catherine Roper has shared a statement today (Thursday 24th October), reflecting on the first week of a public inquiry in Salisbury.
The hearings began at the Guildhall last week (Monday 14th October) and are on a break this week, before moving to London on Monday (28th October).
In her statement, Chief Constable Roper says:
"The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry began in Salisbury last week and, having spent time engaging with our communities, we know that this renewed focus on two such significant incidents has concerned many of you.
"As a result of these conversations, I wanted to provide an update on the Wiltshire Police elements heard so far at the Inquiry.
"Firstly, it is important for us all to remember that at the heart of the Inquiry are Dawn’s family and loved ones. This was exemplified by the touching tribute to Dawn given to the Inquiry from her mother.
"For those of you who attended the hearings or visited Salisbury last week, you would have seen a visible policing presence around the Guildhall. This largely consisted of local, neighbourhood officers who were there to provide help and reassurance.
"I would like to thank each of you who took the time to come and talk to our officers in and around the city centre. Nothing arose last week which posed any risk to the public and I would like to reiterate that there remains no intelligence to suggest any cause for concern for those living and working in Salisbury and Amesbury.
"In terms of the Inquiry itself, the initial Wiltshire Police response to the second Novichok poisoning in Amesbury was a central focus of testimonies and evidence presented in the first week.
"The Inquiry heard that Dawn was wrongly described, in Wiltshire Police documents, as a “known drug user” and that officers responding to the incident involving Charlie Rowley hypothesised that this was an illegal drug overdose. This was despite concerns being raised by our emergency service colleagues in the ambulance and fire services that this could be another nerve agent incident.
"In my opening statement to the Inquiry and later by Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, who is the corporate witness for Wiltshire Police, we offered an apology to Dawn’s family for her being wrongly characterised in this way. Dawn’s family acknowledged this apology in their opening statement, and I hope to have the opportunity to repeat it to them in person at an appropriate time.
"As this is an issue to be further explored by the Inquiry, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this aspect more at this time. However, when appropriate, I will ensure we transparently address any issues emerging from the Inquiry relating to Wiltshire Police.
"In terms of wider organisational learning, I wanted to assure you that, in addition to the learning already captured in a national process run by the College of Policing, we are keeping a daily record to capture each opportunity for future learning emanating from the Inquiry and any improvements we can make to the service we deliver.
"Although the Inquiry will now move to London, I appreciate some in our communities might have further questions or concerns. I would encourage you all to continue to engage with your Neighbourhood Policing Teams who are there to support you in any way they can."