A POISONING panic gripped Salisbury again last night as two restaurant diners were taken ill close to where the Skripals collapsed.

Police in bio-hazard suits shut down part of the city centre on Sunday as they dealt with a “medical incident” in a branch of Prezzo.

20 Cops in hazmat suits have sealed off a Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury after a couple fell ill during their meal Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

20 Prezzo is just 300m from the Zizzi restaurant where the Skripals ate before they collapsed from Novichok poisoning in March. Credit: Solent News

They evacuated nearby restaurants and pubs while they investigated why the man, aged in his 40s and woman, aged in her 30s, were taken ill – amid reports from Sky News that one is Russian.

It was initially reported that a source briefed by emergency services said the pair's symptoms were consistent with Novichok poisoning.

However, Wiltshire Police later confirmed that "there is nothing to suggest the nerve agent is responsible".

The major incident was stood down at 12.30am but the cordon remains in place at Prezzo and the pair are still in hospital under observation.

Salisbury police in hamzat suits seal off Prezzo after couple fall ill at restaurant just 300m from Zizzi’s at centre of Skripal poisoning probe

20 PA reported that a source briefed by the emergency services said medics alerted the police because the symptoms were consistent with Novichok poisoning Credit: Solent News

20 But the source stressed: 'The symptoms of Novhichok poisoning and particular types of narcotic abuse are very similar' Credit: Getty Images - Getty

20

The emergency is the latest in a string of Novichok scares following ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal being poisoned in March and Dawn Sturgess being killed by the nerve agent in June.

Witness Amanda Newton, who says she was sitting next to the couple on Sunday, claims diners will now have to undergo blood tests.

She said: "How on earth did we get caught up in this!!

"A nice meal in Prezzo turns into a major incident as two people sitting next to us take seriously ill and the whole area is closed.

"We are being taken to a safe place and may need blood tests at Salisbury hospital."

20 The emergency is the latest in a string of Novichok scares in Salisbury Credit: PA:Press Association

20 Four ambulances at the scene and a Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) attended the scene Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

20 Wiltshire Police said a man and a woman had fallen ill in Prezzo Credit: Solent News

20 Tonight's incident is the latest in a string of Novichok scares following ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal being poisoned in March Credit: Solent News

Russian suspects in Skripal Novichok poisoning say they went to Salisbury as tourists

She later added that diners had been taken to a disused shop where they were still be kept six hours later.

A witness in nearby Cafe Rouge said they could see police bagging something up in the street outside.

The BBC reported a blonde woman is believed to have fallen ill and that her companion had suffered a fit in the toilet.

It is thought she was going to and from her table before becoming hysterical and calling the ambulance.

BBC reporter Peter Cooke tweeted: "A witness who was in Prezzo in #Salisbury during the incident has told the BBC the scene was "like armageddon."

The diner, who did not want to be named, said one of those taken ill was a blonde woman.

"The blonde female appeared to be at the table on her own and kept going away, getting up and coming back again."

The witness added: "When she came back she was hysterical. She called paramedics and the next thing an ambulance turns up and they come rushing in."

1/3: A witness who was in Prezzo in #Salisbury during the incident has told the BBC the scene was “like armageddon.” The diner, who did not want to be named, said one of those taken ill was a blonde woman in her late twenties. — bbcpetercooke (@bbcpetercooke) September 16, 2018

2/3: The blonde female appeared to be at the table on her own and “kept going away, getting up and coming back again.” The witness added: "When she came back she was hysterical. She called paramedics and the next thing an ambulance turns up and they come rushing in“. — bbcpetercooke (@bbcpetercooke) September 16, 2018

3/3: It materialised he [the man who has been taken ill] was up in the toilet. He’d had a fit and they came back in all gowned up with all the white and the masks on.” The witness told the BBC she herself called the police. “Suddenly we had sirens and it was like armageddon”. — bbcpetercooke (@bbcpetercooke) September 16, 2018

20 Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov bizarrely claimed they visited Salisbury as tourists in their first interview

20 Witnesses at the scene describe seeing a man in a full white body suite complete with a mouth mask. Credit: Solent News

20 Sunday's incident is the latest in a line of scares after ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned in March Credit: Solent News

A South Western Ambulance Service spokesman said the couple were awake when medics arrived and are being treated at the scene but there is no indication of their identity.

They added there were four ambulances at the scene and a Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) are also there.

Aerial video of work to decontaminate home of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury after Novichok attack as investigation into Russian suspects continues

The HART team provide care to people within a hazardous environment that would otherwise be beyond the reach of NHS care.

Public Health England have confirmed they have been made aware of the incident in Salisbury.

The Italian restaurant is a short walk from Queen Elizabeth Gardens, which was closed until recently due to the death of Dawn Sturgess.

The 44-year-old died in June after handling a perfume bottle used to spray the nerve agent on the front door of Sergei Skripal's home in March.

20 Sergei and Yulia Skripal were both poisoned by Novichok in March this year Credit: Enterprise News and Pictures

Feeling a little apprehensive as Salisbury leaps to action again when 2 Russians are taken I'll in Prezzos showing the same symptoms as before ..... AND WE WERE SITTING NEXT TO THEM ! Now under police supervision waiting for medical team to give us the all clear ! pic.twitter.com/vedFfPot72 — Lifeonpinkwheels (@AmandaWorne) September 16, 2018

20 Prezzo is just 300m from the restaurant where the Skripals ate before falling ill Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

A worker at pub The New Inn said: "Police have been very vague about the whole thing.

"We don't know what's going on.

"As soon as the emergency services turned up people started evacuating.

"We've only got a few customers left."

In a statement Wiltshire Police confirmed they had cordoned off the surrounding area as a precaution following the couple falling ill.

The statement reads: "Police were called by the ambulance service to Prezzo, High Street, Salisbury, at 6.45pm today following a medical incident involving two people - a man and a woman.

20 A South Western Ambulance Service spokesman said the couple were awake when medics arrived Credit: Solent News

20 There were four ambulances sent to the scene and a hazardous Area Response Teams Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

20 Police confirmed on Twitter that they had cordoned off the surrounding area

"As a precautionary measure, the restaurant and the surrounding roads have been cordoned off while officers attend the scene and establish the circumstances surrounding what has led them to fall ill."

According to the Salisbury Journal people inside the old Ale House pub were told they couldn't leave.

Other witnesses at the scene describe seeing a man in a full white body suite complete with a mouth mask.

Sam Proudfoot, 16, said: "There is an ambulance, half a dozen police cars, two incident response units, two fire engines and a dozen police officers interviewing a couple of dozen people.

"There's also a man in a full white body suit with a mask over his mouth. Apparently two people were taken ill in Prezzo."

Trouble in Salisbury again on New Street near the cathedral, no sign of what’s happened but there’s 1 fire engine, 1 ambulance and 4 police cars, a man in a full white body suit with a mouth-mask and police not allowed to tell us what’s happening @BBCNews @SpireFM @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/3XpNVkH9or — Sam Proudfoot (@samproudy01) September 16, 2018

20 Witnesses at the scene describe seeing a man in a full white body suite complete with a mouth mask. Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

A diplomatic row has been sparked after Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of being behind the Novichok attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

However, Putin denied the claims and said Russia was not involved despite UK police identifying two Russian suspects.

The latest scare comes just days after suspected Novichok assassins Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov gave an outrageous interview with Russia today.

In the broadcast alleged spies Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov said they travelled to the "wonderful" town in Wiltshire after recommendations from pals.

20 Theresa May accused Russia of being behind poisoning the Skripals due to the use of Novichok Credit: Reuters

20 But it caused a diplomatic incident as Putin refuted the claims and denied Russian involvement Credit: Getty - Contributor

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However, all the facts about Salisbury mentioned by Putin’s alleged hit men appear on the first three paragraphs of the cathedral’s Wikipedia page.

During the chat with the Kremlin-backed news channel, Boshirov said: “Our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town.

“There’s the famous Salisbury cathedral, famous not only in Europe but in the whole world for its 123-metre spire and for its clock, one of the first created in the world.”

Social media users have not been fooled by their outrageous barefaced lies pointing out that their statements appeared rehearsed.

Boris Johnson calls Salisbury suspects ‘murderers’ and blasts their ‘ludicrous’ interview on Russian TV

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