British investigators believe they have identified the suspects responsible for the Novichok attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, the Press Association (PA) reported on July 19.

The PA quoted an unnamed source with knowledge of the investigation as saying that several Russians were involved in the attempted double murder.

The source added that the suspects' identities were confirmed by cross-checking security footage with records of people entering the country around that time.

Investigators suspect several Russians were involved in the attempted murder of the Skripals and are looking for more than one suspect, the Press Association reported.

Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found collapsed on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March after they were poisoned with Novichok. Both later recovered.



Novichok is a military-grade chemical weapon that was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

London has repeatedly accused Moscow of being responsible for the attack. Russia denies any involvement.

The report comes ahead of an inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess, 44, earlier this month. British police say Sturgess had come into contact with a Novichok-type nerve agent on June 29.

The nerve toxin was discovered in a bottle found at the home of Sturgess's partner Charles Rowley, 45, who remains in critical condition in a hospital.

Police said in a statement late on July 13 that a small bottle was found in Rowley's residence in Amesbury, 15 kilometers north of Salisbury, and scientists had confirmed that it contained Novichok.

The police statement said more tests are being conducted to try to determine whether the Novichok in the bottle is from the "same batch" that poisoned the Skripals.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa