A police officer is in hospital over concerns of a possible exposure to the nerve agent Novichok.

The officer, believed to be with Wiltshire Police, is being treated at Salisbury District Hospital.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, remain seriously ill at the hospital after being taken ill last Saturday.

Police officers stands guard at a cordon near Rollestone Street, Salisbury (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Police use a drone to scan parts of Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury, Wiltshire. (Picture: LNP)

Where investigators are searching. (Picture: Mail Online)

It is believed the police officer initially attended Great Western Hospital in Swindon before being transferred to Salisbury.


The force is dealing with the second major investigation involving the nerve agent this year, after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March.

Police are still scouring for traces of the potentially deadly nerve agent in an operation that is expected to last for weeks.



A Salisbury District Hospital spokesperson said: ‘A police officer attended Great Western Hospital this evening for medical advice in connection with the ongoing incident in Amesbury. There is nothing to suggest there is any wider risk to anyone at the hospital.

‘The individual is now being taken to Salisbury District Hospital which has the ability to carry out the appropriate specialist tests.

A specialist team member in a military protective suit leaves the shelter in Salisbury. (Picture: Getty)

‘Salisbury District Hospital has seen a number of members of the public who have come to the hospital with health concerns since this incident started and none have required any treatment.

‘We would like to reiterate the advice from Public Health England that the risk to the wider public remains low.’

Both Sturgess and Rowley fell ill after ‘handling a contaminated item’ believed to have been left behind after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Yesterday police revealed the last 48 hours of the couple.

On June 29, the couple were spotted together at Ms Sturgess’ homeless shelter, the John Baker House in Salisbury, at around 12.20pm.

They then visited a number of shops before going to Queen Elizabeth Gardens. At around 4.20pm they returned and then caught the bus to Amesbury at around 10.30pm.

Work is carried out behind a police cordon in front of John Baker House. (Picture: Getty)

Detectives believe they then spent the night together at Mr Rowley’s house.

The following day, South West Ambulance Service were called to the house at 10.15am and Ms Sturgess was taken to hospital.

Mr Rowley then visited Boots at around midday before going back to his house half an hour later.

He then went to Amesbury Baptist Centre at 1.45pm, before returning home at 3pm.

At 6.20pm an ambulance was called to his house and he was also taken to hospital.

Investigators wearing camouflage protective clothing entered the John Baker House assisted-living accommodation in Salisbury yesterday after they took a sample from the outside of the building.

Drones are being used to scan the park. (Picture: LNP)

The other sites visited by the couple in the lead-up to their hospitalisation are also being looked at, as detectives piece together a timeline of the couple’s movements.

Officers have spoken to several key witnesses, and are trawling through more than 1,300 hours of CCTV which has been collected so far.

Those in camouflage at John Baker House were followed in by two others, one of whom was taking pictures, as they began combing for the deadly substance.



They took a swab from the exterior of the building on Rollestone Street, which is now under a heavy cordon and lined by forensic tents.

There was also a heavy operational presence at Mr Rowley’s flat, where they were both taken ill.

Video still of Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess taken the day before she fell ill. (Picture: Enterprise News and Pics)

Incident response vehicles and fire engines joined police at his Amesbury home.

Police have been unable to locate the source of the contamination and have not ruled out more people falling ill from coming into contact with the substance left over after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were targeted.

The hit squad sent to murder Sergei Skripal probably sprayed Novichok on his front door before trailing him and his daughter through Salisbury until they saw them collapse on a park bench on March 4.

Believing their work was done they appear to have dumped their weapon in Queen Elizabeth Gardens before fleeing Salisbury and probably the country.

One theory understood to be under investigation is whether Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley inadvertently found the container used to transport the nerve agent in the Skripal attack before being recklessly discarded.

Charlie Rowley is still in hospital. (Picture: Facebook)

Mr Rowley has been described as having foraged for goods to fix and sell, and is known to have collected discarded cigarettes.

The Metropolitan Police said: ‘Due to the unique challenges involved with this operation, police activity is expected to take weeks and months to complete.

‘The focus of the investigation remains identifying the source of the contamination as quickly as possible.’

Police have admitted they cannot guarantee others won’t be poisoned and Public Health England repeated ‘highly precautionary advice’ for people who had visited five locations identified by police, but insisted there was no immediate health risk.


PHE advised washing clothes worn with regular detergent at a normal temperature; wiping items such as phones and handbags with cleansing or baby wipes; and double-bagging items that are dry-clean only with further instructions to follow.

The locations identified by police are: Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury; a property at John Baker House, Rolleston Street, Salisbury; a property on Muggleton Road, Amesbury; Boots the chemist, Stonehenge Walk, Amesbury, and the Baptist church on Raleigh Crescent, Amesbury.

Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in March. (Rex)

Four months after the Skripal attack no suspects have been identified – but the new poisonings could lead to a breakthrough.

The second nerve agent emergency in four months prompted a diplomatic row, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid accusing the Russian state of using Britain as a ‘dumping ground for poison’.

The Russian Embassy hit back, accusing the Government of trying to ‘muddy the waters’ and ‘frighten its own citizens.’

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down confirmed on Wednesday that the victims had been exposed to Novichok.

Novichok remains highly toxic for a considerable period of time, so even the tiniest trace remaining in a container picked up by the victims could account for their severe illness.

The episode in Salisbury – the first use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War – sparked international outrage.

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