Wiltshire major incident: Could this be another nerve agent attack like Salisbury?
The two people, believed to be in their 40s, were found unconscious in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on Saturday. They are now in a critical condition in Salisbury district hospital. A number of locations near the Muggleton Road address where they were found have been cordoned off as a precaution. It was initially believed the pair could be under the influence of a bad batch of drugs but further tests are now being carried out.
A major incident has been declared in Wiltshire, as this incident comes four months after the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The Skripals were found on a park bench in Salisbury, about eight miles from Amesbury on March 4. After extensive testing, it emerged the father and daughter had been poisoned with Novichok, a suspected military-grade nerve agent. Police say they are “open-minded” about the cause of this latest incident in Amesbury.
PA Wiltshire major incident: Police presence outside the house where the couple was found
The police force said: "It was initially believed that the two patients fell ill after using possibly heroin or crack cocaine from a contaminated batch of drugs. "They are both currently receiving treatment for suspected exposure to an unknown substance.” Public Health England (PHE) said they do not believe there is a “significant health risk” to the wider public at this stage. The scenes cordoned off include the town’s Baptist church, the Queen Elizabeth gardens and Harcourt medical centre, though the GP surgery has now reopened.
Bing Maps Wiltshire major incident: The incident occurred about eight miles from the Skripal attack
The address where the two were found has not been cordoned off, but a police officer remains posted outside. Neighbours have expressed their alarm at the incident. Amy Ireland, 32, said: “We were on our way back from my 10-year-old son’s football presentation. There was a huge commotion. “Cordons were set up and people were being moved back. People thought it was a gas leak at first. Now we don’t know what to think. “It’s very worrying. My son plays out here on the green. First Salisbury, now this.”
Getty Wiltshire major incident: Military at work near the site of the Skripal poisoning, and Yulia Skripal