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Police release all sites linked to Skripal poisoning - except former Russian spy's home - for decontamination

<em>Police have released all sites linked to the Skripal poisoning case in Salisbury for decontamination, apart from the former spy’s house (Picture: PA)</em>
Police have released all sites linked to the Skripal poisoning case in Salisbury for decontamination, apart from the former spy’s house (Picture: PA)

Police have released all sites linked to the Skripal poisoning case in Salisbury for decontamination, apart from the former spy’s house.

Theresa May’s official spokesman said Salisbury is “safe” and “open for business” following the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the city in March.

The Prime Minister and her top ministers were updated at their weekly Cabinet meeting on the investigation into the attack – dubbed “one of the largest and most complex” counter-terror investigations the UK has ever seen”.

Mrs May’s official spokesman told reporters: “The police have now released all the sites for decontamination, except for the Skripal house.”

<em>Investigation – the probe into the Skripal poisoning was dubbed “one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by counter-terrorism policing (Picture: PA)</em>
Investigation – the probe into the Skripal poisoning was dubbed “one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by counter-terrorism policing (Picture: PA)

He added: “Clean-up work is well under way and the priority is making the sites safe so they can be returned to use and Salisbury can get back to normal.”

Describing the investigation as “one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by counter-terrorism policing”, the spokesman said more than 250 officers from across the counter-terrorism policing network had been deployed, alongside over 160 officers from Wiltshire Police and a range of experts and partners.

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He said: “Officers continue to trawl through over 5,000 hours of CCTV and examine over 1,350 exhibits that have been seized.

“Around 500 witnesses have been identified and hundreds of statements have been taken.”

<em>Open for business – Theresa May’s official spokesman said Salisbury is “safe” and “open for business” (Picture: PA)</em>
Open for business – Theresa May’s official spokesman said Salisbury is “safe” and “open for business” (Picture: PA)

The spokesman said a range of Government support is being provided to help Salisbury get back to normal, including grant funding for local businesses and support for local tourism initiatives.

“Cabinet praised the resilience of the residents of Salisbury in the face of widespread disruption caused by Russia’s reckless actions,” the spokesman added.

“The city is safe and it is open for business.”