Novichok poisonings: victim Charlie Rowley released from hospital

A Wiltshire man poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent has been discharged from hospital 12 days after his partner died after exposure to the same substance.

Hospital bosses made it clear that Charlie Rowley had been decontaminated and posed no risk to the community.

However, it is likely that he will remain under police protection while detectives continue to investigate exactly how he and Dawn Sturgess came into contact with the nerve agent novichok.

Counter-terrorism detectives, who are still investigating the poisonings of the couple and those on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, have already spoken in detail with Rowley.

Rowley’s evidence about precisely how he and Sturgess came into contact with novichok may provide vital details in the hunt for the persons or persons who targeted the Skripals in Salisbury in March. All four were treated at Salisbury district hospital.

Rowley’s brother, Matthew, said on Friday: “I don’t know if they will release where he is. I don’t think he is 100%. I don’t know how it works after he’s released, I’m going to wait for the police to tell me. It is a big thing. It’s been awful. I just hope he’s comfortable, wherever he is.”

Lorna Wilkinson, the director of nursing at Salisbury NHS foundation trust, said Rowley had been through an appalling experience.

She said it was a “welcome milestone” but was tinged with sadness because of the death of Sturgess.

Wilkinson said: “Both Dawn and Charlie had been poisoned by a powerful nerve agent. As part of the care we gave to Charlie, and the other victims of this nerve agent, we decontaminated them. We did this both to help them get better and ensure there would be no remaining contamination that could affect them or anyone who came into contact with them.

“We continue to work closely with Public Health England who have advised that Charlie poses no risk to the community.”

Rowley’s brother has claimed the vessel was a perfume or aftershave bottle and said the couple found it in a park around nine days before they fell ill. Matthew Rowley claimed his brother had told him one or both of them sprayed the perfume over themselves – and also said the vessel broke. The authorities have not confirmed his version of events.

Police have found a bottle that contained novichok at Rowley’s home in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury.

Police have released drone footage of officers searching a shallow stream in Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury.

Officers can be seen peering into the water and combing a bank in the park, one of the spots Sturgess visited with Rowley, the day before they collapsed.

The stretch of water being searched is a branch of the river Avon that splits off from the main waterway north of the city centre and joins back up with it just south of the park.

The branch runs close to the Sainsbury’s car park where the Skripals parked before collapsing on a bench in March after being exposed to novichok.

At the time the stream was flowing swiftly, and the park is downstream of the car park, opening up the possibility that the attackers could have discarded the bottle after seeing the Skripals collapse.

Police have made it clear, however, that they believe the Skripals were poisoned after coming into contact with novichok at the front door of the former spy’s house on the outskirts of the city.

The drone footage was taken on Thursday. On Friday about six officers in protective clothing entered public toilets in a car park next to Queen Elizabeth Gardens at about 2.30pm. They were inside for about an hour and left with items in clear plastic bags.

As Rowley was released, friends of Sturgess, who died eight days after collapsing, met at a pub close to the park to pay tribute to her.

Sam Hobson, who organised the event, said: “I thought that someone should do something nice for her. She was a very friendly person and people that knew her wanted to pay their respects.

“People are really glad that Charlie’s pulling through. We are starting a collection for him for clothes and furniture as all his stuff could get burnt.”