This picture shows police in ordinary uniforms working on the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, collapsed after being poisoned with a nerve agent.

Clearly unaware of the severity of the situation, the officers do not have specialist protective clothing and members of the public can also be seen strolling nearby.

One police officer who had quickly arrived on the scene remains in hospital. On Thursday Amber Rudd said the officer was out of intensive care but his condition was still serious.

Russian spy: condition of police officer who helped Sergei Skripal improves Read more

The pictures were taken at the Maltings shopping precinct in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on Sunday two minutes after Yulia was airlifted to hospital.

At the time officers had no idea the pair had been attacked with a nerve agent and attended the scene in everyday uniforms, even removing parts of the cordon at one stage. At first police believed they were dealing with a routine drugs incident.



In one picture two people can be seen strolling through the precinct, metres from where the Russians were taken ill. In another picture a person also appears to be watching events unfold within metres of the scene. Later a major incident was declared and experts in hazmat suits examined the scene and removed material. The area remains sealed off.



Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the Maltings at 4.15pm on Sunday after Skripal and his daughter were discovered slumped on a bench. The air and land ambulances left the scene with the two Russians at about 5.10pm.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Experts in hazmat suits attend the scene at the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury. Photograph: Salisbury Journal/Solent News

The photos were taken just minutes after the air ambulance left by Thom Belk, who had been at a nearby indoor football game when he heard sirens and the air ambulance.

Belk, of Salisbury, said: “I went to see what was going on just as the air ambulance was taking off and the land ambulance was leaving. These pictures are the immediate aftermath of what had happened – I don’t think anyone there really had a clue what was going on. The police officer is very close to the area where [Skripal and his daughter] were taken ill.

“The officers had actually lifted part of the cordon and at one point there were two members of the public walking very near to the bench and the bag as well. They started off with quite a big cordon, but did begin to take some of it down.”

Georgia Pridham was walking to her friend’s car when she spotted the pair on the bench. She said: “[Yulia] was kind of slumped into his shoulder. It just looked like she was asleep or passed out. “[Sergei] was sat bolt upright and rocking back and forth.”

Dan Holmes, who walked past them just after 4pm, said: “The man was holding the woman with his head up and eyes closed. He was talking to himself as if he was praying.”

Anther eyewitness, Emma Pearson, said: “I walked past them just as they were laying the girl down. I was going to go and help them, but there were so many people there already. I was worried but they didn’t need more people getting in the way.”