Salisbury poisoning cops find bottle of Novichok in victim Charlie Rowley’s home
COPS have found a bottle of Novichok inside the home of Salisbury poisoning victim Charlie Rowley, it was announced today.
The discovery was made on Wednesday - as police scoured the property when he and his partner, who later died in hospital, were exposed to the nerve agent.
The 45-year-old was rushed to hospital along with Dawn Sturgess, and is still critically ill but has regained consciousness.
Dawn died on Sunday night after collapsing in Amesbury on June 30 and a murder probe was launched as cops desperately tried to find the source of the poison.
It came months after ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal were targeted with Novichok in the same city.
The pair survived after battling for weeks in hospital, but the person behind the attack has not yet been identified.
Now the Met has confirmed a small bottle found in Charlie and Dawn's home contained the same nerve agent which left the former Russian spy and his daughter fighting for their lives.
More tests will now take place to see if the bottle which came to be in Charlie's house contains the same batch of substance used to poison the Skripals in March.
Officers are also working to learn how the pair got hold of the nerve agent - currently a mystery.
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, Head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “This is clearly a significant and positive development.
"However, we cannot guarantee that there isn’t any more of the substance left and cordons will remain in place for some considerable time.
"This is to allow thorough searches to continue as a precautionary measure for public safety and to assist the investigation team.
Timeline Of Events
Friday June 29 - 12:20pm: Sturgess and Rowley together at John Baker House, Salisbury. Pair visit Queen Elizabeth Gardens.
4:20pm: Pair return to John Baker House
10pm: Pair catch a bus to Amesbury where it's thought they spend the night at Rowley's house
Saturday June 30 - 10:15am: Rowley calls South West Ambulance service to say Dawn had been taken ill. She is taken to hospital
12:00pm: Rowley visits Boots Chemist then returns home
1:35pm: Rowley visits Amesbury town centre
3pm: Rowley returns home
6:20pm: Rowley is taken ill
“I also appreciate there is a lot of interest in this.
"However, we are not in a position to disclose any further details regarding the bottle at this stage.
“The safety of the public and our officers remains paramount and we are continuing to work closely with Wiltshire Police, scientists, health experts from Public Health England and other partners.”
About 100 detectives from the Counter Terrorism Policing Network have been drafted in to work on the probe, with Wiltshire Police.
The risk to the public in Salisbury and Amesbury remains low but advice remains: “If you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up”.
Mum-of-three Dawn's heartbroken family released an emotional statement paying tribute to her earlier this week.
They said: "Dawn's death has been devastating for us. Dawn will always be remembered by us as a gentle soul who was generous to a fault."
Yesterday emergency services were stood down after fears a man may have come into contact with a nerve agent near Zizzi's in Salisbury.
Officers in protective gear cordoned off Castle Street - metres from where the Skripals dined before they collapsed from Novichok poisoning in March.
He was taken to Salisbury District Hospital where he was tested for signs he had been in contact with a nerve agent, which medics confirmed came back as negative.
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