Prezzo threatens to sue couple who fell ill at Salisbury restaurant if it turns out their ‘poisoning’ was a hoax

The restaurant at the centre of the latest Salisbury incident have threatened to sue a couple who collapsed inside the premises.

Prezzo restaurant chain has threatened legal action against Anna Shapiro, 30, and her husband, Alex King, 42, who dined in their Salisbury branch on Sunday.

The pair fell ill while eating there, prompting fears they may have been victims to novichok poisoning.

On Thursday, Salisbury District Hospital discharged the couple, confirming that they both tested negative for novichok.

The police investigating the recent nerve agent scare are “likely to consider if it was a hoax” , it has also been reported.

Prezzo suffered lost earnings and costs arising from wasted foods, as well as reputational damage after the couple fell ill, the Times reported.

A source at the restaurant, which reopened its Salisbury branch on Thursday, said the chain had held discussions about taking legal action if the incident is shown to be a hoax.

Ms Shapiro had previously claimed she was the victim of a plot, saying: “Vladimir Putin wants me dead”.

She claimed she went to look for her husband in the toilets of Prezzo restaurant and found him “foaming at the mouth” on Sunday, the Sun reported.

Ms Shapiro then also fell ill and ran to the toilet to be sick, while others called emergency services. The city centre was placed on lockdown amid heightened tensions following the Novichok attack on the Skripals in March.

Mr King is reported to have once pulled off a prank that saw him infiltrate a meet-and-greet with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at a 2006 film premiere.

The couple have since been interviewed by the police.