LONDON (Reuters) - Statements by two Russians accused of trying to murder a former Russian spy in Salisbury are not credible, the British lawmaker who represents the city in parliament said on Thursday.

Two men who said they were Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Borishov appeared on Russian state-funded RT, saying they had been wrongly accused by Britain and had been visiting Salisbury for tourism.

“Delighted that Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Borishov were able to see the world-class attractions that #Salisbury has to offer. But very strange to come all this way for just two days while carrying Novichok in their luggage,” Tweeted John Glen, the Member of Parliament for Salisbury who is also a government minister.

“Salisbury welcomes tourists from around the world and is very much open for business,” he added. “But the Petrov/Borishov statements are not credible and don’t match the widely accepted intelligence we have on these individuals.”