English city where former Russian spy was poisoned is 'open for business,' official says
Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned on March 4.
London -- More than two months after the Salisbury, England, nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter, police investigating the incident said the decontamination of key sites has been completed.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman told reporters that Salisbury was “safe” and “open for business.”
He added, “The police have now released all the sites for decontamination, except for the Skripal house. Cleanup work is well under way and the priority is making the sites safe so they can be returned to use and Salisbury can get back to normal.”
Officers, however, are continuing forensic analysis and trawling through thousands of hours of CCTV footage.
On March 4, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found slumped on a park bench in the center of the city. British officials concluded that Russia was most likely behind the attack, which involved a “military-grade nerve agent.” The Kremlin has vociferously denied the allegations.
Officers had cordoned off several sites across Salisbury including the area near the shopping center where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were first found, the cul-de-sac where Sergei lives, the restaurant and pub that they visited and the gravestones of Sergei's wife and son.
The process to clean up the sites has been handled by the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs
Sergei Skripal is still receiving treatment in hospital after being exposed to the nerve agent believed to have been applied to his door handle in liquid form.
Yulia, who was visiting him at the time, was also treated after falling critically ill but has since been released from hospital.
Related Topics
Related Stories
ABC News Live