Staff have since removed flag hung on scaffolding before anniversary of poisoning of Skripals

A Russian flag was hung briefly from scaffolding on Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday night, almost a year after the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with novichok in the city. The flag was taken down on Sunday after cathedral staff were made aware of it.

It is thought that someone climbed the scaffolding and put the flag there during the hours of darkness. The first anniversary of the nerve agent attack on Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33, who were discovered collapsed on a park bench in the city centre, will fall on 4 March.

Two men identified as suspects in the attack, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, went on Russian state-funded TV in September last year to claim they had travelled to Salisbury as tourists, to visit its cathedral.

Salisbury MP John Glen said: “Thankfully, it [the flag] has been removed now – what a stupid stunt – mocking the serious events sadly experienced in Salisbury last year.”

Jo Broom, a Conservative councillor for the St Martin’s and Cathedral ward, said: “My initial reaction was one of huge shock and disbelief that someone would think this was in any way a good thing to do. If it was a joke, it was in very poor taste. Particularly when we are going into the first anniversary of the novichok attack, and are trying to move forward and look to the positive.”

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died from novichok contamination when she used a perfume bottle containing the nerve agent in June last year. Angry Salisbury residents called the act disgusting and insensitive. One posted on social media: “It is in poor taste. Remember an innocent victim, Dawn Sturgess, lost her life because of it. I am sure her grieving family, especially her young daughter, do not find this amusing.”

Another added: “Why would anyone find that funny?”

A spokesman for Wiltshire police said: “We are aware of this incident and inquiries are ongoing.”