UK: Police suspects exposure to unknown substance as Russian spy lands in hospital

The police in the United Kingdom are now investigating a possible exposure to unknown substance after a former Russian agent convicted of spying for Britain and an unidentified 33-year-old woman were both found unconscious on a bench at the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Reports say the pair who had no visible injuries are now critically ill and are both in intensive care at Salisbury District Hospital.

According to Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden: “They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance…
“The focus is trying to establish what has caused these people to become critically ill.

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“We are working with partners to prioritise this diagnosis and ensure that they receive the most appropriate and timely treatment,” he added.

The former Russian agent, Sergei Skripal, 66 – was granted refuge in the UK in 2010 as part of a “spy swap”.

Meanwhile police have closed the city’s Zizzi restaurant “as a precaution” with Wiltshire Police now investigating whether a crime had been committed.

 

 

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