Skripal Case: Nerve Agent Found in Restaurant and Pub, Guests Not in Danger

Traces of contamination with the nerve agent that poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter have been found in a restaurant and a pub in Salisbury where they were on March 4, British health authorities reported on Sunday.

All guests of the restaurant and pub who were present on Sunday, March 4, between 1:30 PM and their closing on Monday are advised by health authorities to wash the clothes they were wearing at that time and disinfect any items they had with them.

– “We have discovered traces of contamination with the nerve agent in Mill Pub and in the Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury,” said Sally Davies, head of the UK Public Health Agency.

>>>Double agent Skripal and his daughter poisoned with nerve agent

– I am confident that this has not endangered the health of those who visited Mill Pub and Zizzi restaurant on the same day. However, many fear that long-term exposure to toxic substances, which we are talking about weeks or months, could cause health problems, Davies said.

– As a precaution, I advise individuals who were in the aforementioned pub or restaurant between 1:30 PM on Sunday and their closing on Monday to wash their clothes thoroughly and disinfect any items they had with them, Davies said, adding that around 500 people were present at that time.

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The English Public Health Agency reported in a statement that the risk to the general public is very low. At the same time, British Finance Minister Philip Hammond stated on Sunday that if it is established that a foreign state is involved in Skripal’s poisoning, “Britain will respond appropriately.”

– The police are conducting an investigation into the case, which is based on evidence, and we will respect the evidence, he said in an interview with BBC.

– We must allow the police to conduct the investigation and let it take its course. If the investigation shows the involvement of a foreign state in the incident, it will be a very serious situation and the government will respond appropriately, Hammond emphasized.

So far, British police have identified more than 200 witnesses and 240 pieces of evidence in the investigation into the attack on the former Russian spy and his daughter, Interior Minister Amber Rudd said on Saturday.

>>>With 200 witnesses and 240 pieces of evidence, ‘it is still too early to say who is responsible’ for the poisoning of Skripal

Former double agent Sergei Skripal (66) and his daughter Julia (33) have been in critical condition in the hospital since Sunday, after being found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury in southern England.

– The two victims remain in the hospital, critically ill but stable, Rudd told reporters after a meeting of the Cobra security cabinet. She added that Nick Bailey, the police officer who fell ill after arriving at the attack scene, is still seriously ill but is able to communicate with his family. Rudd stated that more than 250 counter-terrorism police officers are involved in the investigation, which is being conducted “quickly and professionally.”