'Overreacting' police told no ex-spy living in Novichok poisoning area

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BBC Yulia and Sergei Skripal successful  a edifice  holding drinksBBC

Yulia and Sergei Skripal survived being poisoned by Novichok successful Salisbury

Police investigating the nervus cause poisoning of an ex-Russian spy were told helium was not surviving successful the country and they were "overreacting".

Sergei Skripal and his girl Yulia were recovered slumped connected a seat successful Salisbury metropolis centre aft being exposed to Novichok successful 2018.

Officers recovered retired who they were by utilizing Google to hunt Mr Skripal's name, the enquiry into the decease of Dawn Sturgess was told.

An email from April 2021 from Wiltshire Police Inspector Gill Hughes said nationalist information portion Special Branch had been “very dismissive” of the accusation provided astir Mr Skripal’s poisoning by the force’s power room, the enquiry was told.

Nick Bailey, wearing a bluish  shirt, looks disconnected  camera successful  a acheronian  room

Nick Bailey was poisoned by Novichok which helium said near him "freaking out"

Wiltshire Police was besides told by counter-terrorism constabulary that they were “not aware” that Mr Skripal was housed successful Salisbury and “were not taking immoderate further action”.

The inquiry, being held successful London, has been called to analyse the decease of Ms Sturgess who was poisoned with the nervus cause which was unwittingly fixed to her by her fellow Charlie Rowley.

Earlier, different officer, Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who was poisoned by the nervus agent, told the enquiry that Novichok near him "hot" and "freaking out".

He was contaminated aft the nervus cause was smeared connected erstwhile Russian spy Mr Skripal’s doorway grip successful Salisbury successful March 2018.

Questioning Mr Bailey connected his recollection of events, counsel to the enquiry Francesca Whitelaw said: “It is just to accidental the poisoning had a precise important intelligence and carnal interaction connected you?”

At the opening of his evidence, Mr Bailey said: “My recollection of the events of March 2018 is hazy astatine best.

“I spent a batch of clip dealing with it erstwhile it happened and dealing with the aftermath of it, processing it, and I got to a constituent wherever the lone mode for maine to benignant of determination connected from it was to halt reasoning astir it and to adjacent it off.

“So it’s been immoderate clip since I person really had to past spell backmost to those events – truthful yes, my representation of the incidental isn’t the best.”

Mr Bailey recalled a workfellow calling the power country to accidental “a Russian spy has been poisoned”.

“It is not thing that I had heard earlier and it’s not thing I had thought I would ever perceive again," helium said.

“It was a bizarre incident.

“I retrieve reasoning ‘I volition ne'er perceive that operation connected a Wiltshire Police vigor again’.”

Mr Bailey was past asked to callback entering Mr Skripal’s address, detailing everything helium touched successful the house.

He besides spoke of however his symptoms worsened overnight aft being poisoned.

He said: “Overnight, I would picture it arsenic getting a batch worse.

“I went down astatine astir 5 successful the greeting due to the fact that I was freaking retired a small and my imaginativeness was impaired.

“Once I turned the lights on, everything was crystal wide and it was juddered arsenic opposed to being a creaseless question of looking around.

“It was astir successful frames – it was rather scary.”

The enquiry president Lord Hughes concluded Mr Bailey’s grounds by saying: “I americium precise conscious you person had to relive a precise nasty acquisition but it was indispensable and convey you for doing it.”

The enquiry continues.

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