Yahoo News Salisbury nerve agent attack: Residents angry after 500 told they could be at risk a week later
Up to 500 people in Salisbury have been urged to wash their clothes and personal items a week after a nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter.
Residents are angry that health officials waited seven days before telling them to take precautions after Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, collapsed on a bench in the Wiltshire city.
Hundreds of diners and pub-goers were urged on Sunday to wash clothes and other items after potentially coming into contact with the nerve agent used to attack the pair.
The “precautionary advice” was issued after traces of the substance were found in The Mill pub and the nearby Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury.
England’s chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies said she believed fewer than 500 people would have been in either venue between the Sunday lunchtime and Monday night.
But residents are angry at the delay in giving out the advice.
Maureen Jones, 73, who has lived in Salisbury her whole life, told the Daily Telegraph: “I can’t understand why it has taken a week for them to tell people.”
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Dan Munday told the newspaper: “Enough of this cloak and dagger stuff, let the public know what’s going on, it is our city after all.”
And Julie Green, who also lives in Salisbury, told The Sun: “You can’t help but be a little concerned when you come in to the city centre and see large areas cordoned off and lots of people in protective suits around you.”
Dr Jenny Harries, joint director of Public Health England (PHE), defended the decision to issue new guidance seven days after Mr Skripal and his daughter were found on a bench. They remain in Salisbury District Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
She said on Sunday: “This is about a very, very small risk of repetitive contact with traces of contamination that people may have taken out.
“The advice we’re giving today about washing clothes – very simple things… that will remove that risk as we go forward.”
PHE advised people who visited The Mill pub between 1.30pm last Sunday and closing time at 11.10pm on Monday, and Zizzi restaurant between 1.30pm Sunday and 9pm the next day – should take action.
It asked them to machine wash clothing they wore that day; double-bag clothing worn that day which would normally be dry cleaned and await further advice; wipe personal effects such as mobile phones, purses and wallets with baby wipes and hand wash jewellery.
Dame Sally said: “I want to reassure the general public that the risk to us all from this incident in Salisbury has not changed, and that the risk to us all remains low.
“Rigorous scientific analysis continues, but we have now learnt that there has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent in both The Mill pub and Zizzi’s restaurant in Salisbury.
“I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzi’s restaurant.
“However, some people are concerned that prolonged long-term exposure to these substances may, over weeks and particularly months, give rise to health problems.
“I’m therefore advising – as a belt and braces approach – that people who were in (Zizzi’s or the Mill during the specified times)… should clean the clothes they wore and the possessions they handled while there.
“This is precautionary advice aimed at only those people who were at the venues at these times, which I believe to be below 500 people. I am confident none of these customers will have suffered harm.”
Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition in hospital, where he is said to be conscious and talking. It is thought he was exposed to the nerve agent.
Temporary Chief Constable Kier Pritchard of Wiltshire Police said the “unprecedented incident”, involving one of his officers, “sent shockwaves through the force”.
Meanwhile, Theresa May will update MPs on the investigation into the nerve agent attack amid speculation the Kremlin was behind the poisoning.
The prime minister was briefed by police and intelligence chiefs on the latest developments in the case at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) in Downing Street.
Her appearance in parliament on Monday afternoon comes after the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said the incident looked like a “state-sponsored” murder attempt.
Tom Tugendhat said he would be surprised if Mrs May did not blame the Kremlin for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Ahead of the prime minister’s statement, Downing Street said “if we get to a position when we are able to attribute this attack then we will do so”.
The Kremlin has denied the involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals.
But senior Tory MP Mr Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the Salisbury incident was “looking awfully like it was state-sponsored attempted murder”.
Mr Tugendhat added that he would be surprised if Mrs May “did not point the finger at the Kremlin”.
