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BRITISH POLICE HAVE reported a “major incident” after a man UK media said was a Russian who had allegedly spied for Britain was in critical condition following “suspected exposure to an unknown substance”.
The BBC and other media named the victim as 66-year-old Sergei Skripal who was in hospital along with an unidentified woman. There were also news reports claiming the two had been exposed to a deadly opioid in an incident yesterday.
A former colonel with Russian military intelligence, Skripal was sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in jail in Russia on charges of spying for Britain but was granted refuge in the UK following a spy swap between the United States and Russia in 2010.
Wiltshire Police received a call at around 4.15pm yesterday afternoon from a member of the public who was concerned for the welfare of two people.
The two people, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s, were found unconscious on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury.
The pair did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital.
They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance and both are in a critical condition in intensive care.
“Because we are still at the very early stages of the investigation, we are unable to ascertain whether or not a crime has taken place,” Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said.
Holden said a major incident has been declared and a multi-agency response has been co-ordinated.
Salisbury Police are conducting extensive enquiries to determine exactly what led to the pair falling unconscious and to clarify whether or not any criminal activity has happened.
“We would continue to appeal to any members of the public who may have information in relation to this incident to contact us immediately via 999. We would like to reassure members of the public that incidents of this nature are taken extremely seriously and we currently do not believe there is any risk to the wider public,” Holden said.
Hospital reaction
Chief Executive of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Cara Charles-Barks said that the pair are still being treated at Salisbury District Hospital and their condition remains critical.
“In terms of the impact on the hospital, we have been advising people today to attend routine operations and outpatient appointments unless they are contacted by the hospital and this advice remains the same,” she said.
With reporting by AFP
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Welcome to the reality of supporting some one with a difference here , talk to parents and siblings about how we have to fight for everything.
Fair play to the foster carers for contacting the Ombudsman and therefore going up against Tusla and the HSE. Not a decision taken lightly. There is a bullying mentality when you go against these agencies. Hopefully now the child and her family will get the supports they need. It’s disgraceful that the family had to put themselves through the stress and pressure to get the outcome.
@Clare Sharkey: Sad thing is that TUSLA are in the process of moving the child into a residential type setting and removing her from the wonderful foster family. Wouldn’t it be much easier to put the supports in place and leave her with the loving foster family.
@Lorraine Roche: its a power struggle. Easier to blame foster carers than themselves.
It’s not only children with disabilities who are in care the system is failing it’s children with disabilities full stop. Your child with a disability is accepted into a service-8-18 disability service- they then have to go on waiting lists within that service for Speech& Language, Occupational Therapy, Psychologist etc…. Services are badly organised and seriously under resourced.
A certain spectacle Senator with his “human rights activists” friends will be working tirelessly on this one.
“bespectacled
@Are roo from Cork: think you were right first time.
Abandoned at birth !!!!!????
The poor Girl can expect a lifetime of neglect by the state, funding is ridiculously low in the intellectual disability area, from childhood right through to Adult services!
The Government should take control of all services and streamline while increasing funding – the current system with dozens of organisations with CEO’s on mainly over €100k with generous expenses is putting tax money into the wrong hands instead of into the frontline where conditions have plummeted and staff under severe pressure are leaving disillusioned!
Put the money where it matters and strip away the red tape to give those with disabilities the services they deserve- too much of a gravy train at present!
@David Grey: leo will be in shortly saying how “it shouldn’t be like this”
have your say