Another mysterious disease shakes England after the poisoning of the spy

AMESBURY, England – Four months after a quiet corner of England was plunged into a saga of spies, chemical weapons and international tensions of the Cold War style, locals wondered Wednesday whether it happened again.

Antiterrorist detectives and local police were investigating after a couple of 40 years old became seriously ill after exposure to an unknown substance a few kilometers from where a former Russian spy and her daughter had been poisoned with a nerve agent in March.

Wiltshire police said the case "a major incident" Wednesday, four days after the man and woman were found collapsed in a residential area. building at Amesbury, eight miles (13 km) from Salisbury, where the Skripals were poisoned. A major incident designation allows British authorities to mobilize more than one emergency agency

Residents felt a sense of déjà-vu

"The Russian attack having had place a short time ago, we badumed the worst. " Edwards, who said police and firefighters descended on a quiet street of newly built homes in Amesbury on Saturday night.

Edwards said that she saw people in green suits – like those worn by forensic doctors – and her family staying indoors for several hours.

Police said officers were first called Saturday morning about a collapsed woman, and then were called back in the evening after a man got sick on the same property. Police initially thought that the couple, identified by friends like Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, 45, had taken a contaminated batch of heroin or crack

"However, d. Other tests are being done to establish the substance that have caused these patients to get sick, "said Deputy Chief Paul Mills. "At this point, it is not yet clear whether a crime has been committed."

The London Metropolitan Police stated that "given the recent events in Salisbury, the anti-terrorist officers were working with the local police on the investigation, reported that samples of this mysterious substance had been sent to the laboratory. Porton Down's Defense Research for Tests

Prime Minister Theresa May's office said she was kept abad of the case, "which is naturally handled with the utmost seriousness."

The response of the emergency services echoes that of Sergei Skripal, 67. The former Russian intelligence agent was convicted of espionage for Britain before coming to United Kingdom as part of a prisoner exchange in 2010.

in Salisbury, a cathedral town 145 kilometers southwest of London, when he was floored by his daughter's 33 years old, Yulia, who returned him he visited.

Skripal Disease They fled the doctors after being found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury. Scientists at Porton Down concluded that they had been poisoned with Novichok, a type of nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

After spending weeks in critical condition, the Skripals were released from the hospital and taken to an unknown location for protection. Doctors say that they do not know what the long-term prognosis is.

Britain accuses Russia of poisoning the Skripals, an badertion Moscow strongly denies. The case sparked a diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West, including the expulsion of hundreds of diplomats from both sides.

The two victims of Amesbury were at the Salisbury District Hospital, which was also treating the Skripal. Police said the victims were British citizens and lived in the area.

The neighbors of Muggleton Street in Amesbury, where Rowley would live, said that they did not know the couple well and did not know what they were doing to live. Most residents have only recently moved into new homes and apartments.

Sam Hobson, a friend of the couple, said that he was with them on Saturday, when Sturgess got sick first. He told Sky News that she "had a seizure, foam was coming out of her mouth". Rowley's collapsed later the same day.

"He was sweating, he was dribbling … he was rocking back and forth," Hobson said. "There was no response from him, he did not even know I was there."

Police cordoned off a house in Amesbury, which is believed to be Rowley's, and other places visited, including a church, a pharmacy and a parking lot in Salisbury, near the town. Where the Skripals were found.

Health officials said that there is no greater risk to the public, but they continue to monitor the situation.

Salisbury and Surrounding Cities Police officers from 40 departments in England and Wales returned home in June after months of work on the Skripal case, and specially trained workers spent months decontaminating the sites around the city.

The British government has pledged 2.5 million pounds ($ 3.3 million) to local businesses to offset the revenue loss in the region, which is a gateway to Stonehenge, the largest in the country. ancient stone circle which is a huge tourist destination. Amesbury is a lovely place – it's very quiet, with no history, "said resident Rosemary Northing." So for this to happen, and the media's response and uncertainty, it's all about it. is troubling. "

Justin Doughty, who lives on the other side of the street, said the locals wanted more information from the authorities.We do not know, to be honest now because it's related to Salisbury or is it related to drugs? "he said. "None of us are told anything by the police, and it would be nice to know something."

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Lawless brought back from London. Danica Kirka in London contributed to this story