Salisbury home of poisoned spy Sergei Skripal to be dismantled in Novichok decontamination

Kiran Randhawa8 January 2019

The home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal is to be dismantled with the roof completely removed as decontamination work following the Novichok attack continues.

The 66-year-old and his daughter Yulia, 33, were poisoned by the substance after it was sprayed on the door handle of the property in Salisbury.

The huge clean-up operation, undertaken by military teams, will involve the roofs of the house and garage being removed and materials from the building wrapped and sealed being leaving the site.

Neighbours were warned the operation, starting this week, could take up to four months.

Investigators in protective gear
Getty Images

In a letter to residents in Christie Miller Road, Wiltshire council’s director of public of health, Tracy Daszkiewicz, said contractors would spend the first month erecting scaffolding to cover the house and garage with a “sealed frame”.

A military team will then dismantle and remove the roofs on the two buildings over two weeks.

The letter said: “This phase includes the removal of the house roof and garage roof at No 47 (Christie Miller Road).

Two alleged Russian 'spies' in Salisbury on the day of the novichok poisonings 
PA Wire/PA Images

“All materials will be wrapped and sealed on site before being removed safely from the premises.

“Once the covered frame is in place, the deconstruction work is expected to take around two weeks.

“When that work is completed, contractors will move on site to build a replacement roof for the house and adjoining garage.”

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia both survived the nerve agent poisoning

She said the risk to public health remains “low”, adding: “The priority is to make sure that the two remaining sites affected by the 2018 incidents are thoroughly cleaned and returned to normal use as soon as possible.”

Detectives believe the pair first came into contact with the poison when it was sprayed on the door handle of the property.

The clean-up has been taking place ever since they collapsed on March 5, but work paused over Christmas.

The Skripals survived the attack which Prime Minister Theresa May said had “almost certainly” been approved by the Russian state.

Wiltshire Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is also thought to have come into contact with the poison when he searched their home.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell ill in nearby Amesbury months after the incident and died in hospital in July after coming into contact with a perfume bottle believed to have been used in the attack on the Skripals and then discarded.

Her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the same nerve agent but was treated and discharged.

Two Russian nationals, known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, have been accused of travelling to the UK to try to murder Mr Skripal with Novichok.

A counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle - which Ms Sturgess handled - is thought to have contained the substance.

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