Priti Patel withheld some documents from Novichok public inquiry

Priti Patel restricted the disclosure of "a tiny acceptable of documents" from a nationalist enquiry into the decease of a pistillate poisoned by Novichok, it emerged.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died successful 2018 aft touching a nervus cause intended for a erstwhile Russian spy and his daughter successful a suspected state-sponsored poisoning.

Inquiry seat Lord Hughes said the contiguous circumstances of Ms Sturgess' decease would beryllium dealt with successful Salisbury.

The enquiry would past determination to London to analyse wider information issues.

The erstwhile location caput signed a regularisation announcement connected 27 July "without consultation", a pre-inquiry reappraisal was told earlier.

It prevented the disclosure of "a tiny acceptable of documents", successful an "exceptional measure", the Royal Courts of Justice successful London heard.

"In astir cases it ought to beryllium you and not the Secretary of State who takes the decision," Andrew O'Connor KC, counsel to the inquiry, told Lord Hughes.

"All that said, it should beryllium emphasised that this peculiar regularisation announcement is simply a constricted measurement - it applies to lone a precise tiny proportionality of His Majesty's Government's documentation that has been made disposable to the inquiry," helium added.

Michael Mansfield KC, the lawyer acting connected behalf of Ms Sturgess' family, said they were "whistling and dancing successful the dark".

He said helium feared the enquiry would not instrumentality spot adjacent twelvemonth arsenic helium urged Lord Hughes to defender against immoderate further delays.

Early adjacent twelvemonth a day is owed to beryllium acceptable for the commencement of the nationalist enquiry which mightiness not statesman until 2024.

A large situation facing it is the handling of top-secret quality relating to Russia and the onslaught successful Salisbury.

A authorities barrister, Cathryn McGahey KC, said it was "hugely important that thing disclosed allows a hostile authorities oregon violent to hole different attack, oregon to marque different onslaught much deadly".

As a result, the nationalist enquiry volition impact immoderate closed hearings.

Lord Hughes said erstwhile the enquiry moved to London it would let "special information arrangements" to beryllium enactment successful spot for immoderate witnesses and was apt to see members of the information services.

In Salisbury a video nexus of the hearings volition beryllium provided for people.

Thousands of documents are being examined by constabulary and information officials to guarantee disclosing them publically volition not harm nationalist security.

To day immoderate 23,000 constabulary documents person been reviewed, the pre-inquiry reappraisal heard.

It is believed members of a Russian subject quality squad smeared the deadly nervus cause connected the doorway grip of the erstwhile Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal.

Mr Skripal and his girl Yulia were discovered unconscious connected a seat successful Salisbury connected 4 March 2018, but aboriginal recovered.

Wiltshire constabulary serviceman Nick Bailey was besides poisoned pursuing a hunt of their property, which is astir 8 miles (13km) from Amesbury wherever Ms Sturgess and her spouse Charlie Rowley came into interaction with Novichok connected a discarded perfume bottle.

Ms Sturgess died successful infirmary connected 8 July 2018.

An inquest began successful beforehand of Baroness Hallett successful January 2021 but was converted into a nationalist enquiry to let wider information issues to beryllium considered.