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A second police officer suffered poisoning in the Salisbury Novichok attack, Scotland Yard said today.

The Met said a Wiltshire Police officer had been exposed to a small amount of the deadly nerve agent.

After receiving “appropriate medical treatment” the officer, who has not been named, returned back to work.

The officer was involved with the response carried out over the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March last year.

Forensic examination of the officer’s blood sample was taken immediately after his duties. It is only now the force is able to confirm traces of Novichok were found in the sample.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “These forensic tests were carried out as part of what remains an ongoing investigation, which has been unprecedented in its complexity and scale and has involved thousands of exhibits. Officers continue to work closely with scientists and experts to meticulously and methodically review and examine the evidence available to us.

“The officer has been informed and continues to receive support from Wiltshire Police along with other officers and staff affected by the events in Salisbury and Amesbury last year.”

The police officer is the fourth person to be confirmed ill after the initial Salisbury attack.

The Skripals were critically ill following the attack, as well as Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who also fell ill.

Some months later, Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley also suffered high levels of exposure to Novichock in Amesbury. Ms Sturgess died some days later.

The force added: “Detectives from the CTP network have also contacted a small number of other individuals whose blood samples were taken at the time, to seek their consent for forensic analysis to be carried out on the samples. There is no need for anyone who has not been contacted by police at this time to take any action.

“The purpose of any such test is to assist the criminal investigation, and confirm whether there are any traces of Novichok in the blood samples; therefore forensically identifying any further victims of the attack.

“The forensic tests, however, do not have any health implications for either those individuals or the wider public.”

Scotland Yard is continuing to investigate the poisoning. Two suspects, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, are still wanted by police.

The two Russian men in their 40s have been charged over the nerve agent attack, with a European arrest warrant being issued for the pair.