Amesbury poisoning: Police officer hospitalised after concerns they were 'exposed to Novichok nerve agent'

Police officers stand guard outside a home in Amesbury after two people were taken ill with Novichok poisening
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Chloe Chaplain7 July 2018

A police officer has been taken to hospital amid concerns they could have been exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, sources said.

The officer, believed to be with Wiltshire Police, is being treated at Salisbury District Hospital.

It is a short distance from Amesbury where Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, fell ill last Saturday.

The couple have been left fighting for their lives after they were exposed to the deadly nerve agent.

Victims: Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess were found collapsed on Saturday
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It is believed they were poisoned after handling a contaminated item.

The police office, who has not been named, is believed to have initially attended Great Western Hospital in Swindon before being transferred to Salisbury.

A Salisbury District Hospital spokesperson said: "A Police Officer attended Great Western Hospital this evening for medical advice in connection with the ongoing incident in Amesbury. There is nothing to suggest there is any wider risk to anyone at the hospital.

The trio are all being treated at Salisbury District Hospital
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"The individual is now being taken to Salisbury District Hospital which has the ability to carry out the appropriate specialist tests. Salisbury District Hospital has seen a number of members of the public who have come to the hospital with health concerns since this incident started and none have required any treatment.

"We would like to reiterate the advice from Public Health England that the risk to the wider public remains low."

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Wiltshire Police is dealing with the second major investigation involving the nerve agent this year, after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March.

Forensic investigators are continuing to comb for clues in Wiltshire after the latest Novichok poisonings.

Other sites visited by the couple in the lead-up to their hospitalisation are also being looked at, as detectives piece together a timeline of their movements.

Police have launched a huge operation in Amesbury
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Police have been unable to locate the source of the contamination and have not ruled out the possibility of more people falling ill from coming into contact with the substance left over after the Skripals were targeted.

One theory understood to be under investigation is whether the pair inadvertently found the container used to transport the nerve agent in the Skripal attack.

Mr Rowley has been described as having foraged for goods to fix and sell, and is known to have collected discarded cigarettes.

Poison: Nerve agent Novichok was also used in the attack on the Skripals in March
PA

Public Health England has repeated "highly precautionary advice" for people who had visited five locations identified by police, but insisted there is no immediate health risk.

PHE advised washing clothes worn with regular detergent at a normal temperature; wiping items such as phones and handbags with cleansing or baby wipes; and double-bagging items that are dry-clean only with further instructions to follow.

The second nerve agent emergency in four months 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".

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down confirmed on Wednesday that the victims had been exposed to Novichok.

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.

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