Residents, business owners and community leaders in Salisbury have expressed their concern about public safety and the long-term impact on the reputation of the cathedral city of a second nerve agent poisoning in four months.

Businesses, tourism and everyday life had been returning to normal after the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March and the multimillion-pound clean-up that followed.

But once again, residents in the city – and the nearby town of Amesbury, close to Stonehenge – were braced for the sight of firefighters, detectives and soldiers in protective clothing searching for clues and cleaning up the aftermath of the latest poisoning.

Sajid Javid: UK to consult allies over novichok response Read more

Danny Styles, a fruit and veg stallholder, estimates that he lost £10,000 in trade after the attack on the Skripals. His regular spot is metres from the bench in the centre of Salisbury where the pair collapsed, and he had to move to a less prominent spot outside the cordon around around Maltings shopping centre.

“What’s happened now means footfall is down again,” he said. “I think there’s about half the number of people on the street today compared with this time last month. Normally it’s busier, noisier, loads of atmosphere. I think it’s having an impact already.”

Eleanor West, who owns Sloanes hair salon and Shala yoga centre on High Street in Salisbury, said: “The first time it was a spy, now it’s ordinary people. I’m wondering if we’re safe. This is going to scare people.”

She said parents and childminders who took youngsters to Queen Elizabeth Gardens, one of the areas sealed off, would be particularly worried. “My friend has bleached all his kids’ scooters since he heard about it. He lives close to the gardens. We all go through there all the time.”

James Otter, the assistant manager at The York Roast Co restaurant, said he feared businesses would be affected. “This is obviously going to be version 2.0,” he said. “We are going to see business go down again. A lot of people are saying they are not going to come back to Wiltshire.”

At least three sites have been cordoned off in Salisbury, including Queen Elizabeth Gardens, where Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley were enjoying the sunshine on Friday evening.

Play Video 2:35 CCTV footage shows novichok victim day before attack – video report

About 20 residents were evacuated from John Baker House on Rollestone Street, where Sturgess lived, and screens were being put up to block the building from view.

One of the residents, Justin, said: “The police asked us to leave. We don’t know where we’re heading to. It’s a bit of a shock.” Justin knew Sturgess and Rowley. “Both are still unconscious, which is a concern. Dawn is a good friend. She’s a motherly figure, a really lovely woman – she’d been there for a couple years.”

Matthew Dean, the leader of Salisbury city council, said there was a feeling of disappointment in the city. “Salisbury residents are resilient but there’s no question that events in the last 24 hours are a reverse,” he said.

The number of tourist buses arriving in Salisbury declined dramatically after the attack in March. They were coming back but the fear is that this new incident will prompt visitors to steer clear. “The challenge is telling the world: we’re safe,” said Dean. “It’s a difficult message.”

Dean said Sturgess and Rowley were known to the authorities. “We’re thinking of them,” he said. “They’ve been through a very difficult time in their personal lives. They had their own demons and they were conquering them and they were well on the road to recovery. So it’s tremendously sad for the individuals concerned and we wish them a speedy recovery.”

At Amesbury, where the couple were taken ill, police extended the cordon around Rowley’s flat on a new estate, and local people echoed the concerns of Salisbury residents. “I’m not letting my little girl out to play on the green while all this is going on,” said Jill Daly. “I don’t think we’ve had enough information about what’s happened. They say the risk is low but what does that mean exactly?”

The sales offices in the new estate were quieter than usual. Sam Rowland said he had been planning to inquire about one of the new houses. “I drove over and saw all the police tape, the cops and the TV crews. It does put you off a bit. I think I may look elsewhere.”

Roy Collins, the secretary of the Amesbury Baptist church, saw Rowley when he attended a hog roast hours before falling ill. “He was incoherent and dishevelled. I thought he had been drinking. It’s very shocking what has happened. I think people are very worried.”

The bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, struck a note of defiance. “Salisbury continues to get on with life with that same care, resourcefulness and strength of character that has been so apparent these last months,” he said. “It is a beautiful summer and a great time to visit this wonderful cathedral city.”